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A new study cites that eating broccoli and leafy greens can help keeping obesity and heart disease at bay.
According to the study, intake of plant-based foods, which are rich sources of phytochemicals, can help the body to prevent oxidative stress, which has links with obesity and cardiovascular diseases.
So eating foods like leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes before a meal can help in adding more phytochemicals.
Oxidative stress occurs when the body produces too many damaging free radicals and lacks enough anti-oxidants or phytochemicals to counteract them.
Because of excess fat tissue and certain enzymes that are more active in overweight people, being obese can actually trigger the production of more free radicals, too.
According to Heather K. Vincent, University of Florida (UF), who led the study, people can use phytochemical index for keeping track of the amount of phytochemicals they need for a day.
"We need to find a way to encourage people to pull back on fat and eat more foods rich in micronutrients and trace minerals from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and soy," said Vincent.
"Fill your plate with colourful, low-calorie, varied-texture foods derived from plants first. By slowly eating phytochemical-rich foods such as salads with olive oil or fresh-cut fruits before the actual meal, you are likely to reduce the overall portion size, fat content and energy intake."
"In this way, you're ensuring that you get the variety of protective, disease-fighting phytochemicals you need and controlling caloric intake," added Vincent.
These findings were published online in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.
