Eat Vegetables, Live Longer

Eat your veggies.  Heard that a lot during childhood.  As a kid, I was never a big fan.  My favorite vegetable was corn.  And corn isn’t even a vegetable, it’s a grain.  Forget peas, carrots, string beans etc.  Disgusting.  I don’t know about you, I am in my late 50’s, when I was a small child, most vegetables eaten were served from cans. Gradually, as I became older, the focus on vegetables moved from canned to fresh. And I am guessing, that helped a lot with the taste. I soon starting liking vegetables and as a young adult in my 20’s vegetables became a mainstay in my diet.

Thankfully.  Vegetables are the body’s main source for vitamins, minerals and fiber.  The nutrients that allow us to live a healthy life.  Over the years we have been told  to eat a certain amount of vegetables a day for optimal health. The latest scientific research reports that eating a higher amount of fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of dying in men and women.  A recent study of over 2 million people worldwide found that the optimal amount and combination of fruits and vegetables for longevity are 2 fruits and 3 vegetables a day. 

Diets rich in fruits and vegetables help reduce risk for numerous chronic health conditions that are leading causes of death, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Yet, only about one in 10 adults eat enough fruits or vegetables, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The take away from the study revealed:

• Intake of about five servings of fruits and vegetables daily was associated with the lowest risk of death. Eating more than five servings was not associated with additional benefit.
• Eating about two servings daily of fruits and three servings daily of vegetables was associated with the greatest longevity.
• Compared to those who consumed two servings of fruit and vegetables per day, participants who consumed five servings a day of fruits and vegetable had a 13% lower risk of death from all causes; a 12% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke; a 10% lower risk of death from cancer; and a 35% lower risk of death from respiratory disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Not all foods that one might consider to be fruits and vegetables offered the same benefits. For example: Starchy vegetables, such as peas and corn, fruit juices and potatoes were not associated with reduced risk of death from all causes or specific chronic diseases.
• On the other hand, green leafy vegetables, including spinach, lettuce and kale, and fruit and vegetables rich in beta carotene and vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, berries and carrots, showed benefits.

Covid-19 Vaccination information:  As part of informed consent for your personal information here is the latest reported events from the CDC vaccine adverse reaction reporting system (via their website) to help you make your own health care decision concerning the vaccination.
 
As of 3/5/21,  85 million people have been given at least one dose of the vaccine.  Adverse reactions total 25,072 (Of the 25,000 reported events, common reactions such as arm soreness and swelling, fatigue, fever, body aches and headache are included. Also included are the more severe reactions such as anaphylaxis (228 reported cases).  The most common reactions are chills (over 3755 cases), headache (5181 cases), shortness of breath (3,400 cases), nausea (over 3255 cases).  Also, 655 people contracted the covid-19 virus after receiving the vaccine.  In addition, it has also been reported on the CDC web page that 960 people have died after receiving the vaccine. 

Prenatal Chiropractic Care Information:  The birth process is not always a non-traumatic event for the new baby.  During pregnancy, the entire 9 months maybe uneventful and the pregnant mother feels great, performs her prenatal care regularly and is full of optimism.  Traumatic birth occurs from a difficult delivery.  Meaning the baby is not coming our easily, so doctors may apply more pulling force on the head and neck to get the baby out.  In severe cases, doctors use forceps, a metal plyer like tool that grabs on the baby’s head and pulls.  Or even a vacuum extractor, which uses even more force.  One of the most important things that I teach my pregnant mothers during their prenatal chiropractic care is that even with a normal non-traumatic birth, the doctor still pulls on the babies head to get the baby out.  All of this “gentle’ pulling along with a rotation or turning of the baby’s head will cause cervical bone (neck) misalignments called subluxations.  This is why it is vitally important to have the baby checked for spinal subluxation shortly after birth. A traumatic birth, amplifies the urgency of seeing the chiropractor.  Here is a recent case report:  A mother presented the chiropractor’s office with her five-month-old son with severely limited left arm movement. The mother reported a healthy pregnancy but difficult labor and delivery where the infant experienced shoulder entrapment and birth trauma. An episiotomy and forceful pulling on the infant’s head and neck was performed in the delivery process.  Chiropractic care to reduce vertebral subluxations was given to the patient utilizing a low force, light touch technique appropriate for the age and size of the patient. The infant gained full motion of his left arm within the two months of chiropractic care and the mother states her son may even have a tendency to be left-handed.   If this child did not see the chiropractor after birth, the child could have lived their entire life with an undeveloped arm and partial paralysis.  Therefore the importance of post birth chiropractic care is just as, if not more important than prenatal care!

Author

Dr J. Zimmerman, Chiropractor Dr. Zimmerman is a practicing chiropractor from Galloway, NJ with 30 years of chiropractic practice.