Do you feel tempted to eat a cheeseburger, fires and to complement this, a soft drink? If your answer is yes, then think twice before giving in to your indulgence! By consuming fast food, you are at a higher risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. On the contrary, the opposite is also true.
A new study conducted in University of Florida (UF) found that if you avoid eating fast and processed foods and eat a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts, you will significantly reduce or reverse adverse metabolic activities in your body. Read on to know how phytochemicals fight obesity and prevent disease.
Phytochemicals in Plant-based Foods
An imperative advantage in consuming plant-based foods as a part of your daily diet happens because of the presence of phytochemicals in them. According to this study from UF, which was published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, these plant-based natural substances prevent oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is an activity which is linked to being overweight. Also, it is linked to the onset of ailments like diabetes and heart diseases. Some of the phytochemicals include:
- Allicin from garlic
- Anthocyanins from blueberries
- Beta carotene from carrots
- Isoflavones from soy
- Lycopene from tomatoes
Effects of Oxidative Stress
If there are not enough antioxidants and phytochemicals to counteract the adverse effects of oxidative stress, damaging and harmful free radicals causes inflammation and several other critical problems in the body.
People who are overweight have excess fat tissue and certain other enzymes which are hyperactive. This triggers the excessive production of free radicals. This finding was discovered in this study.
About the Study
Researchers studied a group of 54 young adults which was divided into two categories based on their body weight — overweight or obese and normal weight. They were observed for their dietary patterns. Most surprisingly, both groups consumed the same amount of calories.
But overweight or obese young people were found to be eating a very few plant-based foods. Hence, this group of people were consuming fewer phytochemicals and trace minerals. Also, they were found to be eating more saturated fats. The research team was lead by Dr. Heather K. Vincent.
