Did you know that broccoli is the vitamin superhero of vegetables, packing in more than 1000 IU of vitamin A per each cooked half cup, or that cabbage juice can cure peptic ulcers? Astonish friends and family with the amazing fruits and veggies you eat every day. Next time you’re munching on some cashews or savoring a mango, think about these interesting facts below. These facts prove that veggies are delicious, delightful and intriguing.

Apples · Avocados · Beets · Broccoli · Buckwheat · Cabbage Cashews · Corn · Cranberries · Eggplant · Kabocha · Lentils Mangos · Mushrooms · Parsnip · Peaches · Rutabaga
Sweet Potatoes · Tomatoes · Zucchini

Apples
Health Benefits
Easy on the digestion, apples contain malic and tartaric acids that inhibit fermentation in the intestines. Their high fiber content adds bulk that aids the digestive process, making elimination natural and comfortable. Apples contain pectin, a soluble fiber that encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.

Apples contain flavonoids, antioxidants that improve immune function and prevent heart disease and some cancers.

Green apples act as a liver and gall bladder cleanser and may aid in softening gallstones.

Because of their high water content, apples are cooling and moistening and aid in reducing fever. Simply grate them and serve them to feverish patients. Steamed apples sweetened are beneficial for a dry cough and may help to remove mucous from the lungs.

Hippocrates (circa 400 BCE), the Greek physician considered the father of medicine, was a proponent of nutritional healing. His favorite remedies were apples, dates, and barley mush.

Today medical practitioners are beginning to recognize that the apple's abundant quantity of pectin is an aid in reducing high cholesterol as well as blood sugar, a wonder food for people with coronary artery disease and diabetes.

If these aren't enough reasons to "eat an apple a day," there's more. Eating raw apples gives the gums a healthy massage and cleans the teeth. This popular fruit is said to have properties that are a muscle tonic, diuretic, laxative, antidiarrheal, antirheumatic, and stomachic.

Nutritional Benefits
Unpeeled apples provide their most plentiful nutrients just under the skin. Apples are a good source of potassium, folic acid, and vitamin C.
A medium apple, approximately 5 ounces, has only 81 calories and a whopping 3.7 grams of fiber from pectin, a soluble fiber. A medium apple supplies 159 mg of potassium, 3.9 mcg of folic acid, 7.9 mg of vitamin C, and 9.6 mg of calcium.

Additionally, there are trace amounts of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and zinc.

Avocados
Health Benefits
Recently avocados have been recognized as a good source of two beneficial compounds: beta-sitosterol and glutathione. Beta-sitosterol is a widely prescribed anti-cholesterol drug that interferes with cholesterol absorption, thus promoting lower cholesterol levels. Laboratory analysis has shown that avocados contain 76 mg of beta-sitosterol per 100 g of raw, edible fruit. This is four times the amount found in oranges that had previously been cited as the richest fruit source of beta-sitosterol.

Glutathione is made up of three amino acids, glutamic acid, cysteine, and glycine that function as antioxidants. Studies have revealed that avocados contain 17.7 mg of glutathione per 100 g of raw edible fruit. This is more than three times the amount in any other fruit. Studies have revealed a strong correlation between increased glutathione intake and decreased risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer. The decreased risk only occurred when the glutathione came from raw fruits and vegetables.

An article in the January 2001 issue of Prevention discusses the benefits of avocados for both skin and hair. Mashing an avocado and rubbing it into your hair for five minutes after washing will add luster to your hair. Avocado oil can be applied to the skin to relieve itchy, red, or irritated areas caused by eczema or dermatitis.

In South Africa, an avocado mask made of mashed avocados, sweetener, and lime juice is applied to the face as a moisturizing treatment to counteract the drying effects of the hot sun.

Nutritional Benefits
The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2000 extols the value of fruits and vegetables in the diet and reports that avocados contain "good" unsaturated fats that do not raise blood cholesterol. Although the avocado is high in fat, 60% of the fat is monounsaturated, 20% is polyunsaturated, and 20% is saturated. The edible portion of an 8-ounce California avocado yields 30 grams of fat.

Nutritionally the avocado leads all other fruits in beta carotene and even exceeds the banana in potassium. While other fruits gain sugar as they ripen, the avocado's sugar content decreases as it matures. It contains more protein, potassium, magnesium, folic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, pantothenic acid, vitamin E, and vitamin K per ounce than any other fruit.

Proof of the avocado's wealth of nutrition shows up in the USDA Nutrient Database. Though the avocado is calorie dense, (one-half cup pureed flesh contains 204 calories), the benefits outweigh the concern over its total fat content of 19.9 grams. That same one-half cup of pureed avocado packs a protein content of 2.4 grams with 3.1 grams of fiber. Using that same quantity, the avocado contains only 8 grams of carbohydrates and a surprising 704 IU of vitamin A. It's rich in the B vitamins, especially niacin, scoring 2.20 mg., folic acid registering 75.4 mcg., calcium at 13 mg., iron at 1.36 mg., and a mountain of potassium showing 729 mg. Although it has numerous benefits, the avocado should be eaten in moderation because of its high fat content.

Medicinal Uses
Those inclined to home medication may want to investigate medicinal uses before self-medicating. Unripe avocados are said to be toxic. The leaves of some avocado varieties are also considered toxic. The skin of the avocado has been used as an antibiotic, as a way of ridding the intestinal tract of parasites, and as a remedy for dysentery.

The leaves have a variety of uses. They have been chewed as a treatment for pyorrhea. They have been applied as poultices to wounds. Heated, they are placed on the forehead to relieve neuralgia. Leaf juices and concoctions have been employed as antibiotics, treatments for hypertension, diarrhea, sore throat, and to regulate menstruation. Juice concoctions have been used as digestive tonics, cough remedies, and abortifacients.

Seeds have been roasted and pulverized to create treatments for diarrhea and dysentery. Powdered, they have been utilized as a dandruff treatment. Pieces of seed have been placed in tooth cavities as a toothache palliative. An ointment made from the mashed seed has been used for women's makeup to redden their cheeks. Oil from the seed has been applied to skin eruptions.

Beets
We feature beets this issue because they would never boast of their many health benefits without a little coaxing. Beets, also known as beetroot, are high in potassium, folacin, and fiber, yet low in calories. Their edible leaves offer protein, calcium, fiber, beta carotene, vitamins A and C, and some B vitamins. They're known in the arena of natural healing for their ability to purify the blood and the liver.

Beets make lasting friends almost instantly. Once you've tasted fresh beets in the peak of their season from June through October, you'll delight in their sweetness and versatility. We should mention that they have the highest sugar content of all in the vegetable kingdom. They can be eaten raw, boiled, steamed, roasted, and sauteed. If you visit farmer's markets on a regular basis, you might be able to take home some of the specialty varieties that are harvested early in the season, such as baby beets and golden beets. While beets are at their best in season, they are available throughout the year because they store well. Avoid the exceptionally large ones, though, or you'll be chewing on woody cores with little sweetness.

Broccoli
Nutritional Benefits
Broccoli is the superhero of the vegetable kingdom with its rich vitamin A content--notice broccoli's dark green color as an indicator of its hearty carotene content. Though a bit on the bitter side, broccoli leaves are completely edible and also contain generous amounts of vitamin A.

With one half-cup of cooked broccoli providing 1083 IU of vitamin A and raw offering 678 IU, this veggie should make a frequent appearance at your dinner table. Folic acid is also abundant with one-half cup cooked registering 39 mcg and raw 31.2 mcg.

Broccoli offers 71.8 mg of calcium for a whole cup of cooked, as much calcium as 4 oz. of milk. That cup of raw contains 42.2 mg.

A cup of broccoli gives you 10% of your daily iron requirement, and the vitamin C content helps the body to absorb the iron.

One cup of cooked broccoli has as much vitamin C as an orange, and one third of a pound has more vitamin C than two and one-half pounds of oranges. A serving of one-half cup cooked broccoli offers 58.2 mg while the raw stores 41 mg. A cup of broccoli actually fulfills your daily vitamin C requirement

If you're a calorie counter, count broccoli in with only 22 calories for one-half cup chopped and boiled and 12 calories for one-half cup raw chopped.

Though this exceptional vegetable is not a powerhouse of protein, it does contain 2 grams for one-half cup boiled, and 1 gram for the same quantity of raw. These same figures apply to fiber as well with 2 grams, for the boiled and 1 gram for the raw broccoli.

Across the nutrition scale, broccoli contains all the nutrients mentioned above in addition to vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.

It is important to note that though the figures listed for raw broccoli seem lower, it is not because raw broccoli is inferior to cooked. Because raw broccoli contains more bulk or volume than the cooked, one must eat more to equal the figures for cooked. Cooking breaks down the volume of broccoli, making it easier to consume larger quantities.

Frozen broccoli contains about 35% more beta carotene than the fresh because the frozen packages consist mainly of the florets. Most of the beta carotene is stored in the florets. But don't jump too quickly. There's plenty of nutrition in those stems, such as extra calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin C.

The darker colors of the florets, such as blue green, or purplish green contain more beta carotene and vitamin C than those with lighter greens.

Medicinal Benefits
Though definitive proof is not yet published, the National Cancer Institute suggests that broccoli, along with its cruciferous family members, may be important in the prevention of some types of cancer.

Because of its impressive nutritional profile that includes beta carotene, vitamin C, calcium, fiber, and phytochemicals, specifically indoles and aromatic isothiocynates, broccoli and its kin may be responsible for boosting certain enzymes that help to detoxify the body. These enzymes help to prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure.

Broccoli along with onions, carrots, and cabbage may also help to lower blood cholesterol. At the U.S. Department of Agriculture's regional research center in Philadelphia, two researchers, Dr. Peter Hoagland and Dr. Philip Pfeffer, discovered these vegetables contain a certain pectin fiber called calcium pectate that binds to bile acids, holding more cholesterol in the liver and releasing less into the bloodstream. They found broccoli equally as effective as some cholesterol lowering drugs.

Broccoli's wealth of the trace mineral, chromium, may be effective in preventing adult-onset diabetes in some people. At the Beltsville, Maryland, Human Research Laboratories of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dr. Richard Anderson, a diabetes expert, found that chromium boosts the ability of insulin to perform better in people with slight glucose intolerance.

Buckwheat
Nutritionally, buckwheat is close to wheat in its components, though it is not a wheat at all. Rather it is a cereal grain and contains no gluten. For people who struggle with wheat allergies and gluten intolerance, buckwheat is ideal. This grain has plenty of protein and B vitamins and is rich in phosphorus, potassium, iron, and calcium.

Cabbage
Nutritional Benefits
In its raw state, cabbage contains iron, calcium, and potassium. High marks are given for its vitamin C content. Cabbage is also high in vitamins B1, B2, B3, and D. Lengthy cooking tends to lower the nutritional value considerably.

Red cabbage is higher in fiber than green, with 4 ounces of it boiled and drained offering 2.7 grams. It's higher in vitamin C, offering 25.8 grams for 4 ounces cooked. Red cabbage is also higher in calcium, iron, and potassium than its green cousin.

Savoy and napa cabbage can boast they contain 20% of the RDA for vitamin A, while red and green cabbages contain considerably less. Bok choy contains the most vitamin A, supplying 60% of the RDA, although it is equal to red and green cabbage in other nutrients.

Pickling is an excellent way to preserve the vitamin C in cabbage. In fact, Captain Cook attributed his crew's good health to a daily ration of sauerkraut.

Medicinal Benefits
Cabbage is in the family of vegetables known as cruciferous, a name derived from their cross shaped flowers. All cabbages are cruciferous including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and collards.
Researchers have learned that foods in the cabbage family inhibit the growth of breast, stomach, and colon cancer due to phytochemicals called indoles. These indoles tend to burn up the female hormone, estrogen. Indoles also tend to ward off cell changes that lead to colon cancer. Some of the phytochemicals seem to produce anticancer enzymes. A University of Utah School of Medicine study on 600 men revealed that those who ate the most cruciferous vegetables had a much lower risk of colon cancer. On the side of caution, however, consuming excessive amounts of cabbage may contribute to thyroid problems, possibly goiter.

A well-known remedy for healing peptic ulcers is drinking cabbage juice. A medical study at Stanford University's School of Medicine gave thirteen ulcer patients five doses a day of cabbage juice. All were healed within seven to ten days with the vitamin U contained in the cabbage juice.

Cashews
Natives in South America used cashew nut shell oil in the treatment of scurvy, sores, warts, ringworm and psoriasis. The oil is found to have potent antibacterial properties

Many people avoid cashews because of their high fat content, though they are lower in total fat than almonds, peanuts, pecans, and walnuts. Cashew provide essential fatty acids, B vitamins, fiber, protein, carbohydrate potassium, iron, and zinc. Like other nuts, cashews are high in saturated fat; however, eaten in small quantities cashews are a highly nutritious food.

Corn
Early corn was believed to be similar to oats and barley with each individual kernel covered in a husk. Today corn is the second most plentiful grain in the world behind rice and ahead of wheat. It is the only plant which cannot reproduce itself without the help of man who must plant the kernel.

Nutritionally, corn (cooked or raw) is low in fat and calories and provides almost three grams of dietary fiber as well as protein per ear. White corn is deficient in vitamin A, while yellow corn is plentiful. Both offer moderate amounts of folacin and vitamin C, with magnesium and potassium in abundant quantity. Corn, however, is notoriously deficient in lysine and tryptophan, two essential amino acids. Its molecular structure makes at least half of its niacin useless to humans. Sharecroppers in the 1930's who relied on corn for the staple in their diets found themselves the victims of pellagra, a disease that results from a niacin deficiency. Pellagra victims suffer from skin eruptions, digestive and nervous disturbances, and mental deterioration.

Cranberries
The name cranberry came from the German and Dutch pioneers who referred to the berries as "crane berry" because they frequently noticed cranes feasting on the tart berries. The early settlers also noted that the blossoms on the vine resembled the bill, head, and neck of a crane.

Medicine men used the berries to create a poultice for treating arrow wounds. Women used them to create natural fabric dyes for clothes, blankets, and rugs. At tribal feasts Chief Pakimintzen of the Lenni-Lappes distributed cranberries as a symbol of peace.

In 1789 the New Jersey legislature passed a law fining anyone 10 shillings for picking cranberries before October 10.

For many years folk medicine practitioners prescribed cranberry juice for urinary tract infections. The theory was that the juice made the urine so acidic bacteria would not grow. This practice was treated as folklore by many in the medical profession who have called it unreliable as a preventative and not a treatment. Today, many women who use natural remedies rely on the juice of the unsweetened cranberry or a powdered cranberry extract formed into a caplet for treatment of urinary tract infections

Nutritionally, one cup of cranberries provides 14 mg of Vitamin C, 71 mg of Potassium, and only 49 calories

Eggplant
Medical Benefits and Concerns
Some plants of the nightshade family contain alkaloids, colorless, bitter organic substances such as caffeine, morphine, quinine, and strychnine that have alkaline properties and contain nitrogen. Some of the nightshade plants can be quite toxic; others contain mild toxins. Eggplant's toxins are contained in the fruit before maturity and in its leaves, and stems.

While some practitioners of Eastern medicine may consider eggplant beneficial in treating uterine tumors, they also recommend that people with loose stools avoid the fruit.

For people with arthritis and related problems of the bones and joints, some physicians suggest patients eliminate foods of the nightshade family. Because this food group contains solanine, a calcium inhibitor, consuming it can further enhance mineral imbalance and add to joint pain and swelling. Doctors suggest eliminating nightshade vegetables from the diet for six weeks, then adding them back one at a time to see if the body is able to tolerate them.

Members of the nightshade family include eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, and all peppers with the exception of black pepper. These foods contain a toxin called solanine, an alkaloid that may cause diarrhea, heart failure, headache, and vomiting in some sensitive people.

For people who tolerate eggplant well, the medicinal benefits are many. Eating the fruit can reduce swelling, clear stagnant blood, reduce bleeding, comfort bleeding hemorrhoids, and treat dysentery.

Eggplant's ample bioflavonoids may be beneficial in preventing strokes and hemorrhages. The fruit contains the phytochemical monoterpene, an antioxidant helpful in preventing heart disease and cancer. The National Cancer Institute has been examining vegetables of the nightshade family, especially eggplant, to see if they may inhibit the production of steroidal hormones that encourage tumor growth. Eggplant may also prevent the oxidation of cells that leads to cancer growth.

For scorpion bites, apply raw eggplant directly on the affected area. For frostbite, prepare a tea of eggplant, bring it to room temperature, and apply a compress to affected areas.

Kabocha
The flavor and texture of the Japanese pumpkin is likened to that of a sweet potato crossed with a pumpkin.

An abundance of beta carotene, the precursor to vitamin A, is kabocha's prime nutrient, along with vitamin C, iron and potassium. Also present are folic acid, calcium, and trace B vitamins.

Lentils
Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who prescribed lentils for his patients with liver ailments. Even into the Nineteenth Century they were called "the poor man's meat." The only time of year they found acceptance was during Lent as a substitute for those people who could not afford fish.

One hundred grams of lentils has as much protein as 134 grams of beef. Of the dried vegetables the lentil is second only to the soybean in protein content. One cup of boiled brown lentils provides 38 mg. calcium, 356 mg. phosphorus, 72 mg. magnesium, 360 mcg folacin, 6.6 mg. iron, 731 mg. potassium, and 10 grams dietary fiber. Lentils sold as dhal have their outer skins removed and are lower in fiber than other varieties.

Mangos
Health Benefits
Revered not only for their exotic sweetness and juicy quality, mangoes are known for their many health blessings. They contain an enzyme similar to papain in papayas, a soothing digestive aid. These proteolytic enzymes that break down proteins are effective meat tenderizers regularly used in tropical countries where mangoes are grown. The enzyme list continues with magneferin, katechol oxidase, and lactase that not only protect the mango from insects, but help humans by stimulating metabolism and purifying the intestinal tract.
Studies have shown that foods containing phenolic compounds have powerful antioxidant, anticancer, and anticardiovascular abilities. Mangoes possess the phenols quercetin, isoquercitfin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid, and methylgallat.

In India mangoes are used as blood builders. Because of their high iron content they are suggested for treatment of anemia and are beneficial to women during pregnancy and menstruation. People who suffer from muscle cramps, stress, and heart problems can benefit from the high potassium and magnesium content that also helps those with acidosis.

One lab test turned up rather startling results that raised mangoes to the "highest perch." Mango juice was poured into a test tube that contained viruses. Shortly, the viruses were destroyed.

Nutritional Benefits
One medium mango, about 10 1/2 oz., is a mighty impressive, self-contained package of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants that only packs 135 calories. Like most fruits, the mango is low in protein, about 1 gram for a medium size, but you can certainly benefit from its 3.7 grams of fiber.

Being of the plant kingdom, mangoes contain no cholesterol or saturated fat and contain only about .6 grams of total fat. Their sodium content ranks low at 4 mg.

Mango is a shining star in the beta carotene realm, summing up at 8061 IU for that same medium size. If you're looking for a boost in potassium, look no further than a medium mango with its 322.92 mg. It's the perfect fruit to replenish energy after heavy physical exercise like jogging or working out. Magnesium content is 18.63 mg.

Mango scores 57.3 mg of vitamin C and offers impressive numbers for vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6. There's even a touch of zinc in our featured fruit, with calcium at 20.7 mg. and iron at .27 mg.

Although these figures will vary with the different varieties and different sizes, there is little doubt that the mango is an exceptional fruit, not only for its high-ranking nutrients, but also for its intense, zesty and delightful flavor that just may taste like paradise itself.

Mushrooms
Nutritional Benefits
Depending on the variety, mushrooms contain 1 to 3% protein and all the essential amino acids, making the protein complete. For vegetarians, mushrooms make an ideal meat substitute.

They also have many of the B vitamins. Most cultivated mushrooms contain vitamins C and K, and some vitamin E.

Mushrooms are a rich source of potassium and phosphorous. About 5 raw button mushrooms contain 370 mg. of potassium and 104 mg. phosphorous.

Portabellas are an ideal food for those watching their waistlines. They contain no fat or sodium, are high in fiber, and low in calories (40 calories for a medium size). Also noteworthy is that mushrooms are very low in carbohydrates, making them ideal for diabetics

Chanterelles, with their appealing yellow coloring, are the only mushrooms that contain beta carotene and vitamin D.

Medical Benefits
Mushrooms have been used medicinally by many cultures. Even Hippocrates prescribed them for healing. While some of their proposed healing abilities are strictly folklore, recent medical studies have been recognizing some genuine healing properties.
Asians have known for many years that shiitake mushrooms have medicinal powers with the ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, boost the immune system and inhibit tumor growth. Lentinan derived from the shiitake mushroom is used to treat cancer in Japan. Doctors in the U.S. are just now taking a look at these facts.

For many centuries mushrooms have been characterized as an aphrodisiac. While there have not been medical studies to test this belief, you might conduct your own investigation, and in the process discover they produce a laxative effect, provide a natural antibiotic, offer protection against tumors, lower cholesterol, and rev up the immune system.

In 1960, a scientist at the University of Michigan discovered that shiitake mushrooms contained an antiviral substance that could stimulate the immune system. Most studies on shiitakes have taken place in Japan where their health benefits have been noted for boosting the immune system to produce more interferon, the body's defense against viral and bacterial infections.

Other studies have found that Chinese black mushrooms, known as wood ear, contain an anticoagulant-type substances, acting like blood thinners that may prevent blood clots. The effect was likened to that of aspirin.

The trace mineral germanium, found in mushrooms, is noted for its antiviral and antitumor effects. Germanium also energizes the body. With so many healing abilities and such variety of flavors and textures, mushrooms just may help the body generate energy, offer protection against tumors and virus infection, and bring complete satiety to the mushroom aficionado.

Parsnip
Nutritionally, parsnips are low in calories, about 130 for a whole one 9" in length, and contain no saturated fat or cholesterol. That same 9" parsnip can boast a 6.4 grams of fiber, 93.1 mcg of folic acid (that's nothing to sneeze at), 59.2 mg of calcium, and 46.4 mg of potassium, and lesser amounts of vitamins B1, B2, B3, vitamin C, iron, and zinc.
One myth says parsnips left in the ground over winter are poisonous. Another says that harvesting parsnips before the first frost causes them to be poisonous. Neither is true, of course, but folklore makes good conversation. However, for those of you who plan to stalk the wild parsnip, beware! The water hemlock, also a member of the same botanical family, looks very much like the wild parsnip, and it is poisonous.

Peach
A surprising fact to note is that a medium peach packs a powerful 465 IU of vitamin A to combat the effects of aging. Further benefits of a medium peach include B vitamins, 3 mcg of folic acid, 5.7 mg of vitamin C, 4.35 mg of calcium, 1.4 grams of fiber, 171 mg of potassium, and a little zinc. Their beta carotene also helps build a strong immune system to prevent damage from free radicals, and to avert many skin diseases. Beta carotene is a provitamin that the body converts into vitamin A.

Cultivation of peaches began in China as early as 2000 BCE, where the ancient Chinese thought of the peach as a symbol of the female genitalia and recognized its yin qualities. A Chinese bride was referred to as a peach.

Rutabaga
The rutabaga, a relatively newcomer in the world of vegetables, is thought to have evolved from a cross between a wild cabbage and a turnip. In addition to being a rich source of beta carotene as well as potassium, rutabagas are high in vitamin C, the B vitamins, calcium, and fiber.

Sweet Potato
There are no yams on the American dinner table. What we call yams are really just a variety of sweet potato.

The sweet potato deserves to be on the highest perch because it is a nutritional powerhouse with 4 ounces of cooked pulp supplying 2 grams of protein, 3.4 grams of fiber, 24.6 mg of vitamin C, 28 mg of calcium, 22.6 mcg of folic acid, 20 mg of magnesium, 348 mg of potassium, and a whopping 21822 I.U. of vitamin A. That's mighty impressive for only a half cup serving. The skins, which are completely edible, add even more fiber.

There are two major varieties of sweet potatoes, the yellow, drier, more mealy kind with lighter beige colored skins, and the orange, more moist, sweeter ones with reddish skins that are usually called "yams." True yams, however, are nothing like the sweet potato, but are a tuber native to Africa, very starchy, not very sweet, and grow as large as 100 pounds.

Tomatoes
The French loved them and referred to them as "love apples." In Germany they were revered as "apples of paradise." On the other hand, the British did not place tomatoes on the highest perch but instead rejected tomatoes because they believed them to be poisonous. . The early New England colonists also carried this belief until 1812 when the Creoles of New Orleans happily showed them how tomatoes enhanced their gumbos and jambalayas.

Healthwise, tomatoes are on the "highest perch" because they contain the antioxidant lycopene, noted for its ability to reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men who consume 10 servings a week. Tomatoes also contain vitamin C and carotenoids, beta carotene being one of the most familiar, which are antioxidants. These offer protection from free radicals that cause premature aging, cancer, heart disease, and cataracts. Loaded with antioxidants and high in potassium, tomatoes are one of the healthiest "vegetables" around. Another benefit--they're low in calories, about 35 for a medium tomato.

Zucchini
With their high water content (more than 95 percent), zucchini squashes are very low in calories. There are only 13 calories in a half-cup of raw zucchini, with a slight increase to 18 calories in the same quantity cooked. Nutritionally, zucchinis offer valuable antioxidants. They also provide some beta-carotene, trace quantities of the B vitamins, folic acid, small amounts of vitamin C and calcium, and a healthy content of potassium.

Thank you to Vegparadise.com for providing this resource.