Drinking Your Vegetables May Lead to a Healthier You

< Oct. 29, 2008 > -- People who make vegetable juice part of their daily diet are more likely to get recommended daily servings, according to a new research study.

Researchers from the University of California-Davis found that making vegetable juice a part of your daily diet could be a small step in meeting daily vegetable recommendations. Their research was presented at the American Dietetic Association (ADA) annual meeting.

US Dietary Guidelines advise individuals to consume three to five servings of vegetables daily, based on caloric intake. Seven out of ten adults fall short of the daily recommended vegetable intake. According to the study, drinking vegetable juice is a simple behavior change to boost the intake of this critical food group.

"What we found in this study is that drinking vegetable juice seemed to address some of the key barriers to vegetable consumption such as convenience, portability, and taste, so individuals were more likely to meet their daily recommendations," says Carl Keen, PhD, study author and distinguished Professor of Nutrition and Internal Medicine at the University of California-Davis. "Furthermore, vegetable juice drinkers reported that they actually enjoyed drinking their vegetables, which is critical to adopting dietary practices for the long-term."

Convenience Is Pivotal For Behavioral Change

This study consisted of 90 healthy men and women divided into three groups. All three groups received dietary counseling on ways to increase vegetables in their diet, but only two groups were instructed to drink at least one serving of 100 percent vegetable juice daily.

Of those two groups, one group drank one 8-ounce glass of vegetable juice every day and the other drank two 8-ounce glasses of vegetable juice every day as part of a balanced eating plan.

More than half of the participants who drank one serving of 100 percent vegetable juice met the recommendations, as did all of those who drank two 8-ounce glasses of 100 percent vegetable juice each day. Of those who did not drink any vegetable juice, less than twenty-five percent got enough vegetables.

Based on the results of the study, researchers conclude that changing dietary behavior is much more effective when dietary advice is complemented with tangible, easy, and convenient solutions.

In fact, six weeks after the study began, vegetable drinkers reported feeling "more satisfied" with the ease of getting vegetables into their diet, and that drinking 100 percent vegetable juice provided an additional source of vitamins and minerals.

What Do the Experts Say?

All forms of vegetables count as a member of the vegetable group, according to the Produce For Better Health Foundation.

Vegetables can be served in several ways-juice, raw, cooked, whole, cut-up, mashed, canned, or dried/dehydrated.

"The best type of vegetable is one that you will actually consume, so it's important to provide people with a variety of great tasting options and ways to include them in their diet," says Elizabeth Pivonka, PhD, RD, of the Produce for Better Health Foundation. "That's why we encourage people to explore all types of vegetables, such as 100 percent juice, fresh, frozen or canned, to get at least one serving of vegetables at each meal occasion throughout the day."

Eat Vegetables and Stay Healthy

A growing body of science states that vegetables are important to promote good health, to help reduce risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, and to achieve a healthy weight.

A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM), associated the consumption of a diet high in fruits and vegetables with a decrease in risk factors for certain chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Since 1980, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) jointly publish the Dietary Guidelines for Americans every 5 years. These guidelines provide expert advice about how good dietary habits can promote health, and reduce risk for major chronic diseases for individuals ranging from two years and older.

Always consult your physician for more information.