How bad is it to eat too few vegetables?

Generally, it's quite normal to eat vegetables in the Netherlands. You're often raised this way from childhood. Ideally, you should eat at least 250 grams of vegetables per day. Research shows that only a quarter of all Dutch people meet this standard, with young people eating the least vegetables.

Moreover, people in developing countries, for example, often have very few or no vegetables at all. In short, many people eat far too few (or even no) vegetables. But how bad is this, really?

To see how unhealthy eating too few vegetables is, we'll first look at what makes vegetables so healthy.

Most vitamins in vegetables can be stored for future use. The vitamins that can be stored in the body are fat-soluble vitamins. Examples of fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E, and K.

For optimal body function, you also need water-soluble vitamins. This group includes vitamins such as vitamin C, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, biotin , cholesterol , and folic acid. You need these water-soluble vitamins every day because they are difficult or impossible to store in your body.

If you look closely at the benefits of the B-complex vitamins, you'll know that a deficiency can have enormous consequences for your health. Vitamin C also has numerous benefits for the body. A vitamin C deficiency

However, this is not very common, but a higher intake can provide more benefits.

In addition, vegetables (and fruits) are also a good source of all kinds of important minerals, such as magnesium and potassium. Magnesium is found in legumes, for example, and potassium in kale.

Dietary fiber is crucial for your health. There are some very positive digestive benefits that come from the fiber in vegetables. Food can't move healthily through your digestive tract unless it's high in fiber.

What many people underestimate is the importance of antioxidants. These are substances that protect your body from harmful substances (free radicals). Brightly colored fruits and vegetables (cherries, blueberries, pomegranates) often contain high concentrations of antioxidants.

Eating too few vegetables can have many drawbacks. These drawbacks result from a deficiency of vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc.

One of the biggest drawbacks of not eating enough vegetables is a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Some B vitamins help release energy from food, vitamin A supports healthy eyes and skin, and vitamin K helps support blood clotting.

Minerals in vegetables (such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium) support your skeletal, nervous, and cardiovascular health. Avoiding these foods can negatively impact any of these functions.

The fiber in vegetables doesn't add calories to your diet, but it does improve the health of your gut and your body. Insoluble fiber helps waste pass through your system more quickly. This is because it increases the volume of your intestinal contents, which promotes bowel movements.

Soluble fiber swells as it passes through your intestines, slowing the absorption of nutrients like glucose and cholesterol. Therefore, eating vegetables helps regulate your blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Vegetables are also rich in phytonutrients, which can have anti-inflammatory effects.

The balance of potassium and sodium in your diet is key to maintaining cardiovascular health. Many Dutch people consume too much sodium (or too little potassium).

Eating potassium-rich vegetables can help restore this balance. Maintaining too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure and increase the risk of stroke, among other things.

Vegetables have a low energy density, meaning they contain few calories per unit of weight. They therefore add volume to your diet without overloading you with calories.

Additionally, their water and fiber content helps you feel full, which can prevent overeating (especially helpful if you're trying to lose weight). Replacing vegetables with high-energy-density foods like cheese or fatty meats can make it very difficult to maintain a healthy weight.

Eating enough vegetables is also incredibly important for good cognition (learning, concentration, memory, etc.). Your brain needs vitamins and minerals to function properly.

Constant fatigue can be a result of certain vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies. Eating enough vegetables can help replenish these deficiencies, giving you more energy.

Eating too few vegetables is very unhealthy! You run an increased risk of vitamin, mineral, and fiber deficiencies. These nutrients are crucial for your overall health. Eating too few vegetables can result in weight gain, poor cardiovascular health, an increased risk of disease, digestive problems, impaired cognition, and constant fatigue.

Eating enough vegetables can help prevent deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals and keep your body healthy. In short, eating enough vegetables is extremely important for good health.