Whole Food Nutrition VS. Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

I certainly agree that eating whole foods, including a broad variety of fruits and vegetables is key to our good health.  Juice Plus is advertised as a "whole food" supplement and because of that is considered a healthier alternative to a vitamin/mineral supplement.   First of all, I am wondering about the logic of declaring Juice Plus a "whole food"supplement.  It is quite different than cramming the nutrition of a whole apple (plus a variety of other fruits) into a capsule.  There is simply way too much fiber in fresh fruits and vegetables.  First Juice Plus extracts the juice from these fruits and vegetables eliminating a lot of the bulk from the fiber.  Second, they dehydrate the juice into a powder/extract.  However, when you extract the juice from a whole food, studies show that you lose as much as 90% of the nutrients with the waste.  (Journal of food science. Vol. 70, 2005. pp. S167-S171).

 In fact, much of the "waste" left behind after juicing has been shown to be extremely rich in phenolic compounds that decrease cancer risk. (Food and Chemical Toxicology 45 (2007) 1224–1230).

  You can see at the following document on the ORAC value of foods that significant antioxidant properties are lost in juice. (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods –2007, Nutrient Data Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2007). 

So then Juice Plus takes this nutrient depleted juice and processes it into a powder.  How is this processing not reduce the nutrient value even further? How do you know that the processing does not "destroy a large part of the necessary  enzymes, vitamins, and minerals."  ? Juice Plus then adds isolated nutrients back into the final product.  I am not saying this is bad, but merely that I question using the terminology "whole food".  

Another key point in the above article is that of bioavailability.    It is touted that Juice Plus is more bioavailable than vitamin/mineral supplements.  It is sadly true that supplements are not regulated beyond food GMPs, and that outsourcing of supplement manufacturing is commonplace. There are quite a few inferior vitamin/mineral products on the market. It is not true that "whole food" supplements are naturally more bioavailable than a high quality vitamin/mineral supplement made through pharmaceutical GMPs.  

Bioavailability is defined as the degree and rate at which a compound is absorbed into a living system or is made available at the site of biological activity. Different vitamins and minerals have different absorption rates regardless of whether they come from a tablet, liquid, powder, or food. Calcium, for example, has a relatively standard absorption rate (between 25 and 35%). The delivery form does not generally make a significant difference if an individual is healthy and intakes are adequate.  Chelated minerals and not mineral salts are used in a quality mineral supplement.

A well-made tablet provides a very effective delivery system and is the chosen form of most quality multivitamins and pharmaceutical medications. Tableted products allow for a higher level of active ingredients - almost 3 times as much as a capsule and much more than a liquid or spray. In general, the stability of tablets is also superior to liquids.

Additionally, there are many factors that can affect the absorption of vitamins and minerals in the human body. Some of these factors are a function of the person taking the nutrient and are dependent on an individual's age, digestive system integrity, overall state of health, gender, whether the supplements are taken on a full or empty stomach, and even the time of day. People whose nutrient needs are greater - such as growing children, pregnant or lactating women, and those who are currently deficient - may have significantly enhanced absorption rates for certain nutrients. Even absorption of minerals from food sources can vary significantly. Boron, molybdenum, and iodine can be absorbed at over 90 percent, while the average absorption rates of zinc, copper, and selenium can range from 30 to 80 percent.

A recent study was done at USANA comparing the bioavailability of a few key nutrients: vit C, Riboflavin, vit B6, and plasma antioxidant reserve

Four products were analyzed relative to USANA's Essentials™ vitamin/mineral/antioxidant supplement: 

1. A plant-sourced vitamin/mineral supplement utilizing minerals obtained through hydroponic cultivation

2. A food based supplement consisting of dehydrated fruits and vegetables

3. A leading single daily vitamin/mineral tablet containing up the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of select vitamins and minerals

4. A gel-based vitamin/mineral supplement containing up to the RDA levels of vitamins and minerals

The results? 

Check out the graphed date HERE

"The Essentials provided the largest increase in circulating concentrations for all three nutrients examined. Interestingly,the leading daily multivitamin produced a larger absorption curve for riboflavin than the plant-matrixed, juice-based, and gel-based products, even though all 4 products contain the same amount of riboflavin in their formulations. As seen in the vitamin C curve, only the
juice-based product produced an absorption curve that approached that of the Essentials.
Plasma antioxidant reserve seems to match the curve for vitamin C, suggesting that PAR is
heavily influenced by vitamin C status.

Studies where multiple doses are given over a longer period of time could also provide insight
into the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin E, coenzyme Q10, vitamin K, and the
carotenoids, as these vitamins take longer to accumulate in the body. It also appears that for
vitamin C, riboflavin, and vitamin B6, the Essentials not only had the best absorption, but also
maintained increased levels of the nutrients longer over the time period examined. Therefore,
it appears that the USANA Essentials provides optimal levels of the most bioavailable forms of
nutrients to obtain blood levels significantly higher than the competition."

The quality and purity of the raw materials, manufacturing, and 100% potency guarantee of a product developed, manufactured, and tested through pharmaceutical GMPs is what I want to supplement my own healthy diet.  I have found only two companies that adhere to these specifications in the USA:  Douglas Labs and USANA Health Sciences. 

Be Well!

Robin

I really appreciate your writing the above response, Robin.  This might sound strange, but this is exactly the kind of 'discussion' that I want to encourage for people on Lumigrate in the forums because we all are out here knowing that we want to do more or differently and then also not exactly sure what to do from there!  

I doubt you've had the time or have felt the need to watch the OVER hour long video on Lumigrate on Supplements and Disease Prevention, but Dr Rollins had stated at the time we were recording in the fall of 2008 that he felt that Douglas Labs was one of the best supplements.  He was in the process of selecting what products to carry at the Integrative Medicine Center of Western Colorado, a clinic many of us progressive providers met about for years and he finally made happen. It was very education for me to have Lumigrate's office inside the Center for that first year, as he and the naturopath had different preferences on many products and some overlaps and differences in their knowledge base.  They were learning from each other, something I call 'cross pollination' for fun. I work to bring that 'experience' to the pages of Lumigrate's forums so those reading can see that it's really about finding good information, forming an opinion, then 'doing'.  And remembering there are MANY opinions.  We hope to bring interesting, streamlined information to people to make that process easier for them.   

I really want to thank you guys for writing about supplements and how it is YOU chose the ones to 'get behind' and take as well!  

~~ Mardy

Robin,

That is an extremely well written, thorough piece.   Thank you for the time and energy put forth to bring us this information!

I just want to add why I chose USANA over other products:  Being an ex-triathlete and competitive horse back rider, I always knew the importance of supplementing my diet to help keep my body in top form and recover quickly from the stress and strain I put on it and was using several different brands at the time.

The vast array of supplements on the market is daunting, to say the least, and it can be hard to know what's the best product to take, so I did some research.  I searched online, consulted with my brother and sister-in-law (both doctors who use Douglas Lab and PURE products) and using Lyle  MacWilliams Comparative Guide to Supplements, I found USANA products to be the top choice.

Douglas Lab and USANA products both received the top 5-star rating in the Comparative Guide but USANA's Essentials and HealthPak 100 received the Editor's Choice award because, unlike Douglas Lab, they are available without the added expense of a doctors visit.  Also, USANA has a wonderful opportunity for someone looking for a home based business, which I was, so the choice was easy to make.

I love my life and I love USANA!

To your health!

Marylee

 Juice PLUS is a Whole Food Supplement. It has a food label not a supplement label. A vitamin is something that is taken out of a whole food, manufactured  and then marketed as healthful. I would refer you to the science behind Juice PLUS. You can find it here: http://www.tkociembajuiceplus.com. This is Gold Standard Science which means that it is randomized, placebo controlled, double blind and tested in a patient's  body. Its p Value is always >.95 which means it is accepted science the world over. Then it has to be published in a Peer Reviewed Journal. Those are very high standards. A lot of companies tout that they have science behind their products but their web sites do not highlight the science. 

There are 40 known vitamins. A vitamin is a phytonutrient. There are over 20,000 identified phytonutrients. It is believed that there may be 100,000 phytonutrients.  It is the synergy of all of these phytonutrients that makes the difference in your body.  There is nothing in front of the counter not behind the counter that can claim what Juice PLUS can claim. (Dr. Richard DuBois, 16 years as chief of staff at Atlanta Memorial and 10 years as head of Atlanta Medical Association). There are 10 studies on Juice PLUS bioavailability on the web site  above. A company is known by the company it keeps. After a 10 year study, the Woman's Health Study proved that vitamins did nothing to prevent cancer. Similar studies have been published about heart disease.

An ORAC value is measured in a test tube. It has very little relationship to what actually happens in a body. Companies that quote ORAC values generally do not have Gold Standard Science backing up their products.

Juice PLUS has a food label, not a supplement label. In Texas where food is not taxed, Juice PLUS is not taxed. 

The University of Graz study on the COBRA forces of Austria showed that the 5.43 micrograms of Vitamin C found in Juice PLUS outperformed the 1500 Milligrams  of the vitamins C supplement they were taking. The COBRA forces are the equivalent of our Navy Seals. The studies go on and on. 

I'd like more information on the Women's Health Study, actually.  Is that related to the breast cancer/hormone study, Tom?  

In an interesting turn of events, I was asked to go to dinner last night with a couple of people who are getting interested in the business aspects of the supplements and essential oils/aromatherapy aspects of health care.  We talked about the different ways of going about creating products and marketing them, and naturally direct or network marketing versus retail "brick and mortar" or online was part of the conversation. 

They have been reviewing areas of Lumigrate.com related to nutrition and supplementation of nutrition and were finding the discussions intriguing and very helpful.  So naturally, there are questions about the Products tab on Lumigrate, which was not even part of the original concept of the website but as the website was being constructed with the video content recording/editing two years ago people started asking me after they'd seen a video 'what was that again, that he said to take (or buy or do?)' and I wanted a fast reference for people who were users of Lumigrate to refer to.  Everyone knows what Amazon.com is so that is the 'standard' on new websites and in the first year to two years you just see what happens -- you see what people 'do with it'.  So we're at that point now, reviewing things and starting to prepare to do a 'facelift' as I like to call it.  (Nothing will really change substantially, but it will look different and be more 'current'.)

Since these people I met with are novices to the health industry but have a good combination of backgrounds in providing services to people and a long histories in the agricultural business world, and we were eating dinner -- it occurred to me to talk about the way I like to break down information about nutrition.  There are no 'right and wrong answers for everyone' -- people are complex and some want the privacy of going to a big store or ordering online and don't want to talk with anyone.  Others want the individual contact that comes from going to a medical provider/office or purchasing a product that's distriubuted in a fashion that's more along the lines of a home-based business. 

The nutrition world, in particular supplements, is growing and becoming more complex by the minute, so I very much appreciate everyone's time in contributing so that people who are looking to Lumigrate as a resource have these words to read and these thoughts to help usher theirs along the way.  ~~ Mardy

 Mardy,

Having worked for four Fortune 500 companies I can safely say the Juice PLUS has an outstanding business model. In fact it is the best I have ever seen. In my past I have been involved with several network marketing companies and none of them held a candle to Juice PLUS when it comes to product or business models, for me.

If you want refer those people to me and I will take them through one or two "web walks".  

According to Dr. William Sears, author of 40 books, the supplement business is actually quite easy. Does it have Gold Standard Science backing it up. (check)? Is it bioavailable (check, 10 separate studies)?

Whole food nutrition means that you get all of the phytonutrients in whole foods. It means a food label not a supplement label with RDA's. America doesn't have a vitamin shortage it has a whole food shortage.

I agree that Juice Plus is not a supplement, but a food- although it is a food that has been modified through processing to be not quite recognizable as a food.   One of the great benefits said about Juice Plus is that it contains a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in an easy to take form.   That can also be a problem.  I refer to the development of food sensitivities common in people who have fibromyalgia, migraines, IBS and other similar chronic health issues.  I suggest readers take a look at the food sensitivites segments of this website and read or listen what Dr. Christopher Lepisto and Dr. Rollins has to say. 

I am friends with a registered dietician who works exclusively with food sensitivity testing and dietary counseling through a program called LEAP  www.leapdiet.com  She has huge success with her clients eliminating symptoms of fibromyalgia, migraine, IBS, as well as stubborn weight control and eczema.  She utilizes a variety of methods to help patients identify their trigger foods, including food history, Mediator Release Testing (MRT) and elimination diets.   She works in a Holistic Medical Center that offers both Juice Plus and USANA products.  Many of her clients, though, find out that they are reactive to many of the fruits and vegetables used in Juice Plus products.   Since there is no way to determine specific ingredients of Juice Plus products (as it is a mixture of foods)  they cannot take the Juice Plus without reacting negatively.   So... there is a down side to a "whole food" supplement. 

Bioavailability:  The research I gave on bioavailability of USANA products vs other types of products, including the juice based product ( Juice Plus)  had nothing to do with the ORAC score. 

In case the reader doesn't want to go over to see the poster at the study link  Here is the study design and results: ( the pretty pictures are at the link) ( the italics below are my own comments)

Study Design
This study was a crossover study that consisted of 10 healthy adult volunteers (8 males, 2
females), ranging in age from 26–50. One supplement was evaluated each week for a total
of 5 weeks. Each product was given as directed to include the manufacturer’s recommended
daily dose in a single intake. On each study day, subjects were required to complete an
overnight fast, donate a baseline venous blood sample, and take the randomly assigned
dietary supplement. Additional blood samples were collected 1, 3, and 7 hours later. A
standardized breakfast and lunch consisting of a bagel with 20 g of cream cheese was given
to subjects at baseline and again after the 3-hour blood draw. Participants were also asked
to abstain from physical activity the day of their study appointment.

Nutrient Analyses
Ascorbic acid, riboflavin, vitamin B6, and plasma antioxidant reserve (PAR) were measured at
each time point to obtain an absorption curve for each product/nutrient.

RESULTS
For every nutrient examined, the USANA Essentials had the best bioavailability profiles. The
Essentials produced the largest change in blood levels of ascorbic acid, 15% greater than the next
closest product (plant matrixed) and ranged between 64% to 73% greater than all the others examined (p=0.046)(Figure 1A).

For riboflavin, the mean area under the curve (AUC) was the greatest after supplementation
with USANA’s Essentials. There was a 56% greater appearance of riboflavin than the next closest
competitor (leading daily vitamin) and 96% over the worst (juice-based)(Figure 1B).

Supplementation with the Essentials also had the best absorption of vitamin B6. The AUC was at
least 92% higher than all of the competitors. The juice-based product did not change the blood
levels of vitamin B6 at any of the time points following supplementation, indicating that either
this product contained no vitamin B6 or poor, if any, bioavailability (Figure 1C).

In terms of a functional endpoint, plasma antioxidant reserve, a measure of resistance of plasma
to oxidative stress, was measured. Supplementation with the USANA Essentials produced a 13%
increase in PAR over the next closest competitor( juice-based). The other 3 supplements had only a minimal effect on PAR (Figure 2).
 

Statistics:

A p value of < .050 is significant.   Tom, a p value of  .95 is horrible  Do you mean to refer to the confidence interval? 

The Women's Health Study was flawed in that it used single source vitamins and minerals.  Yes, you are correct that a synergistic approach is necessary for optimal health.  The synergy of nutrients and the mis-representation of RDA as a guide to optimal health are key and are topics for a future discussion. 

Be Well!

Robin

USANA Health Sciences is a scientific nutritional research company whose products are based on 30 years of cell culture technology.  Here is a list of just some of the research partnerships from the past two years: 

you can see the direct link at http://www.usana.com/dotCom/difference/partner

Research Partnerships

In addition to conducting countless clinical studies in-house, USANA scientists often collaborate with respected universities and research centers to ensure our formulations remain on the cutting-edge of nutritional science and to test the effectiveness of our products in helping consumers achieve optimal health.

Universities
USANA has partnered with a number of universities to conduct research studies, including the University of Utah, Boston University, and the University of Sydney. In early 2008, USANA announced the results of a large, third-party clinical study completed at the University of Colorado Denver, which confirmed that lifestyle changes involving diet, supplementation, and exercise, can improve metabolic syndrome (Wyatt HR, et al).

Specific university research sponsored by USANA includes:

Ball SD, Keller KR, Moyer-Mileur LJ, Ding YW, Donaldson D, Jackson WD. Prolongation of satiety after low versus moderately high glycemic index meals in obese adolescents. 2003. Pediatrics 111:488-94.
Edwards RL, Lyon T, Litwin Se, Rabovsky A, Symons JD, Jalili T. Quercetin reduces blood pressure in hypertensive subjects. 2007. J Nutr 137:2405-11.
Greene DA, Naughton GA. Calcium and vitamin-D supplementation on bone structural properties in peripubertal female identical twins: a randomised controlled trial. 2010. Osteoporosis International, in review.
Moyer-Mileur LJ, Xie B, Ball SD, Pratt T. Bone mass and density response to a 12-month trial of calcium and vitamin D supplement in preadolescent girls. 2003. J Musculoskel Neuron Interact 3(1):63-70.
Wyatt HR, Ogden LG, Cassic KS, Hoagland EA, McKinnon T, Natalie Eich N, Chernyshev V, Wood T, Cuomo J, Hill JO. Successful internet-based lifestyle change program on body weight and markers of metabolic health. 2009. Obesity and Weight Management 5(4):167-73.

Linus Pauling Institute
In 2007, USANA announced a 10-year partnership with the Linus Pauling Institute (LPI). Based at Oregon State University, LPI is one of the nation’s first two Centers of Excellence for Research on Complementary and Alternative Medicine designated by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health. The Linus Pauling Institute conducts research based on the idea that a balanced and nutritious diet is the key to optimal health. USANA works closely with LPI to explore new products and ingredients and conduct extensive studies on the health benefits associated with key nutrients.

LPI papers, abstracts, and presentations supported by USANA include:

Barker T, Leonard SW, Hansen J, Trawick RH, Ingram R, Burdett G, Lebold K, Walker JA, Traber MG. Vitamin E and C supplementation does not ameliorate muscle dysfunction following anterior cruciate ligament surgery. 2009. Free Radic Biol Med 47:1611-8.
Barker T, Leonard SW, Martins TB, Trawick RH, Hill HR, Kjeldsberg CR, Traber MG. Cytokine alteration following antioxidant supplementation and anterior cruciate ligament surgery. 2009. American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington.
Barker T, Leonard S, Trawick RH, Martins TB, Hill HR, Traber MG. The influence of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid on circulating inflammatory cytokines following anterior cruciate ligament surgery. 2008. Free Radical Summer School, Spetses, Greece.
Barker T, Leonard SW, Trawick RH, Martins TB, Kjeldsberg CR, Hill HR, Traber MG. Modulation of inflammation by vitamin E and C supplementation prior to anterior cruciate ligament surgery. 2009. Free Radic Biol Med 46:599-606.
Barker T, Leonard SW, Trawick RH, Martins TB, Kjeldsberg CR, Hill HR, Walker JA, Traber MG. The supplementation of vitamins E and C modulate the relationship between circulating mediators of muscle weakness but not limb strength following anterior cruciate ligament surgery. 2009. Diet and Optimum Health Conference, Portland, OR.

Barker T, Leonard SW, Trawick RH, Walker JA, Traber MG. Antioxidant supplementation lowers circulating IGF-1 but not F2-isoprostanes immediately following ACL surgery. 2009. Redox Report 14:221-6.
Bemer B, Krueger SK, Orner GA. Sulindac pharmacokinetics. The role of flavin-containing monooxygenases. 2008. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Summer Internship Presentation, Oregon State University, September 26.
Johnson S, Hagen TM. Changes in Acute Human Plasma Glutathione Levels Following Lipoic Acid Supplementation. 2009. Howard Hughes Medical Institute Summer Internship presentation, Oregon State University, September 24, 2009, and Center for Health Aging Research Life Scholars presentation, Oregon State University, October 14, 2009.

Jubert C, Mata J, Bench G, Dashwood R, Pereira C, Tracewell W, Turteltaub K, Williams D, Baily G. Effects of chlorophyll and chlorophyllin on low-dose aflatoxin B1 pharmacokinetics in human volunteers. 2009. Cancer Prevention Research 2(12):1015-22.
Leonard SW, Barker T, Taylor AW, Traber MG. APCI LC-MS quantitation of vitamin K in the plasma of anterior cruciate ligament surgery patients. 20XX. Analytical Biochemistry, in review.
Peluso MR, Miranda CL, Hobbs DJ, Proteau RR, Stevens JF. Xanthohumol and related prenylated flavonoids inhibit inflammatory cytokine production in LPS-activated THP-1 monocytes: structure-activity relationships and in silico binding to myeloid differentiation protein-2 (MD-2). 2010. Planta Med 76:1536-43.

Song Y, Chung CS, Bruno RS, Traber MG, Brown KH, King JC, Ho E. Dietary zinc restriction and repletion affects DNA integrity in healthy men. 2009. Am J Clin Nutr 90:321-8.
Song Y, Chung CS, Bruno RS, Traber MG, Brown KH, King JC, Ho E. Zinc status affects DNA damage and oxidative stress in healthy adult men. 2009. FASEB J 23:216.1. (Yang Song won the Young Investigator award with the American Society of Nutrition for this work.)

Song Y, Ho E. Effects of zinc deficiency on DNA damage, oxidative stress and oxidant defense in peripheral blood. 2008. FASEB J 22:A697.
Traber MG, Barker T. Vitamins E and C in ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) Injury. 2009. 3rd International Symposium; Nutrition, Oxygen Biology and Medicine. Paris, France.

Glycemic Index Foundation
A collaboration between the University of Sydney, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Australia, and Diabetes Australia—the Glycemic Index Foundation (GIF) backs the GI Symbol Program in Australia. The GI Symbol Program is the only independent worldwide GI certification program requiring foods meet a number of criteria to prove they are a healthy choice within their food group. All USANA Foods carry the GI Symbol in Australia, and all testing data quality has been verified by the GIF.
 

Be Well!

Robin 

I have had absolutely no problems with CFS/FM/MS sufferers taking Juice PLUS. It is important that they understand that nutrition is not fast like a drug but does treat the whole body with no side effects while a drug acts quickly, treats a symptom but has side effects.

 One of the things I like about our research summary is that we have linked the research description to the Medical Abstract to the actual publication. When you go to httP://www.tkociembajuiceplus.com and click on "Juice PLUS Research" and scroll down to "Research Shows" to see how that works. I believe we are the only ones doing that but I don't know every site. 

If you want to know a little about how Juice PLUS is made when you are on the landing page underneath the two Juice PLUS bottles is a link to the video.

I smell a pumpkin pie cooking right now. 

Tom Kociemba

tom@kociemba.com

623-533-4071 In Arizona or MT. 

http;//www.tkociembajuiceplus.com

This post responds to "What should a person do who has developed food sensitivities".

Q: First what can I read to know more about whole food nutrition and compare that with isolated vitamins and mineral supplements?

A: Be sure to read the article at the top of this section titled: Juice Plus+®
 vs. Vitamin and Mineral Supplements by Dr. Smokey Santillo

Potential Synergy of Phytochemicals in Cancer Prevention:

Mechanism of Action 1

NOTE: More clinical evidence that fruit and vegetable extracts are the right way to go in prventing cancer and other chronic diseases.

Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

ABSTRACT Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that regular consumption of fruits and vegetables is strongly associated with reduced risk of developing chronic diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. It is now widely believed that the actions of the antioxidant nutrients alone do not explain the observed health benefits of diets rich in fruits and vegetables, because taken alone, the individual antioxidants studied in clinical trials do not appear to have consistent preventive effects. Work performed by our group and others has shown that fruits and vegetable phytochemical extracts exhibit strong antioxidant and antiproliferative activities and that the major part of total antioxidant activity is from the combination of phytochemicals.

We proposed that the additive and synergistic effects of phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables are responsible for these potent antioxidant and anticancer activities and that the benefit of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is attributed to the complex mixture of phytochemicals present in whole foods. This explains why no single antioxidant can replace the combination of natural phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables to achieve the health benefits. The evidence suggests that antioxidants or bioactive compounds are best acquired through whole-food consumption, not from expensive dietary supplements. We believe that a recommendation that consumers eat 5 to 10 servings of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables daily is an appropriate strategy for significantly reducing the risk of chronic diseases and to meet their nutrient requirements for optimum health. J. Nutr. 134: 3479S–3485S, 2004.

jn.nutrition.org/content/134/12/3479S.full.pdf+html