Why Do I Stress On The Importance Of Consuming Vegetables And Fruits On A Daily Basis?
When it comes to healthy eating it is not only about eating protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fat. Frequent consumption of vegetables, greens, and fruits is also paramount for healthy living. Why?
The body has to maintain a consistent blood pH level. A pH is a measurement of how acidic or alkaline a solution is. The pH balance of the human bloodstream is known to be one of the most important biochemical balances in the human body. In order to maintain a proper pH balance, the body will deposit and withdraw minerals from bones, fluids, or soft tissues. The pH balance is affected by consumption of food, medication, and lifestyle.
However, it should be known that we are born with a very high alkaline body. Over the years as we age our pH levels gets more acidic. An acidic environment is an invitation for many diseases. It also speeds up the aging process. In addition, each and every meal we consume is either a net acid load or a net base (alkaline) load. Foods that typically produce more acid are starches like wheat, rice, etc, and protein (meat). Vegetables and fruits are alkaline producing.
As stated above, one of the primary way the body balances pH is to start breaking down bone and soft tissue. Bone contains calcium (alkaline). Calcium is released to regulate pH and provide homeostatis; muscle contains glutamine (alkaline) and when the net acid load in the body increases muscle tissue breakdowns and releases glutamine to balance PH.
Although your body can regulate the acid-alkaline balance, you can counteract the acidic environment by eating vegetables, greens, and fruits on a regular basis. So, it is paramount to consume vegetables and fruits not only for their rich vitamin and mineral content but also because they are alkaline in nature.