How much vegetable intake is needed daily? Top functional medicine doctor weighs in
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
But how much vegetables should you eat to get these benefits? What should be the daily intake when it comes to vegetables? Dr. Shirley Koeh, a functional medicine doctor based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has shared insights on this. From the daily vegetable intake to portion sizing, the doctor shares valuable information on vegetables. Let's take a look.
Daily intake of vegetables
Though
should be a crucial part of our daily diet, most people fall short.
For most people, their meal is largely meat-based, and carbs, especially in Western countries. Children are more likely to eat fewer vegetables than they require. Dr. Koeh agrees the same and adds, 'How much vegetables do you need every day? Most people are not even close, especially your kids.'
But, in order to get optimal health benefits, it is crucial that your diet has enough veggies. But what should be an ideal portion? According to the NHS, adults should have at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.
An adult portion of fruit or vegetables is 80g.
Dr. Koeh further breaks down this and suggests, 'Use your fist to measure your portion size that matches what your body needs. Taking cooked
, you'll need roughly about 4 to 5 fistfuls per day.'
She emphasizes that the portion sizes may vary if you are opting for raw vegetables. 'If it's raw veggies, you'll need up to 10 fistfuls per day. This is because raw vegetables will shrink when cooked, so you will need to double the amount,' she adds.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Supreme Court Pushes Central Govt to Finalise FOPL: What It Means & Why It Matters? | Explained
The recommendation for children is also similar. They should aim to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day. The exact amount, however, could vary depending on the child's age, body size, and levels of physical activity.
Why veggies are important
Dr. Koeh also stressed the importance of incorporating vegetables into the daily diet. 'Vegetables aren't just healthy, but they provide fiber, which is the food for your gut bacteria. It also stabilizes your blood sugar and your cholesterol. And most importantly, it supports your immune function,' she said.
While eating veggies, also ensure to incorporate a variety of them. The more colourful the plate, the healthier.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Set up ‘smoking zones' in hotels, bars or else lose licence: BBMP
BENGALURU: The BBMP health department has sent notices to 412 establishments like bars, hotels and restaurants and has directed the proprietors to set up smoking zones. The palike has also given one week from the date of notice issued, failing which, the trade licence will be suspended. According to Chief Health Officer (CHO), BBMP, Sirajuddin Madani, the action is following the Supreme Court direction on June 22, 2022 and section 4 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA), in which any establishment like bars, hotels and restaurants with 30 or more seats must have a separate area for smokers and it should be identified as 'Smoking Zone'. 'The BBMP Special Commissioner for Health held a meeting with police, excise department and education department on Saturday, and a decision was taken that action will have to be taken against restaurants, bars or hotels violating the rules. The BBMP Health Department officials have been instructed to take action under sections 308 and 314 of the BBMP Act 2020 and suspend the license,' Madani said. The CHO and other officials will revisit the establishments that received notice and if they have not followed the instruction, action will be initiated to to place the trade license under suspension and also impose a penalty. As per the BBMP health officials, the owners of these establishments have been told to comply with the order within seven days' time from the time of notice issued. The officials who held inspections across eight zones to check if the rules are being followed found the highest violation in the South Zone, with 94 violations. Similarly, 72 violations in Bommannahalli, 63 in East were found, and notices were sent to all of them.
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Hans India
Health experts urge govt to mandate dengue reporting
Hyderabad: Health experts are urging the government to establish a mechanism that ensures hospitals report dengue complications. They also suggest that protocol-based treatment should be encouraged through knowledge-sharing between tertiary centres and rural areas to prevent deaths and huge expenditures. As dengue is a seasonal, epidemic disease, complications often require tertiary centre monitoring. From prevention to updating protocol-based treatment, a new approach is urgently needed for this tropical disease. Dr Madap Karuna, a consultant at EMRI Green Health Services, said that since dengue is a tropical disease, the cases may not be the same in Western countries, and therefore they may not have case studies of severe cases. 'There is a WHO protocol where we get to know not much about severe dengue management. The protocols have not been updated for severe cases,' said Dr Karuna. 'The policymakers also should know that the medical field is evolving; there are new diseases. During COVID, everybody was doing research and they gave a lot of options. Now, dengue is also changing patterns, as there are severe complications. Multi-centric studies should be encouraged by policymakers. We should give our data to WHO so that every doctor should know how to tackle it.' The issue doctors face with dengue cases is that patients are often brought to the hospital in a bad state. Doctors said that in this scenario, if there is already a publication or knowledge-sharing of experiences, the feedback can be helpful for patient treatment. The private sector has been making some effort through conferences at a nominal price, but there is no such mechanism from the rural centres, doctors noted. Doctors point out a rise in the number of dengue cases until September-October and therefore want the government to initiate awareness campaigns. Dr Karuna said that dengue has existed for two decades and people should know when to refer a patient, what type of treatment can be provided, etc. Similarly, the cost of treatments is also pushing patients into poverty. 'Once a child is in hospital, it is very difficult to manage,' said Dr Karuna. Senior cardiologist and faculty at the International Training Center at Gandhi Medical College, Dr Vijay Rao, said that while protocols and guidelines do exist in every field of medicine, sometimes it is practical common sense that helps in clinical medicine, especially in developing countries where resources are scarce.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
As CM set to unveil scheme, TN moves HC to modify order on use of Stalin's name
Chennai: State govt has moved Madras high court to modify its order restraining govt from launching any welfare scheme in the name of a living political personality, in conformity with the guidelines set by the Supreme Court. Though the first bench of the court, headed by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, clarified that the state could proceed with the launch of the scheme on Aug 2 while responding to a mention made by advocate-general P S Raman, the state filed a formal petition seeking the modification. The plea is likely to be taken up for hearing on Monday by the first bench. Chief minister M K Stalin will launch specialty health screening camps, Nalam Kaakkum Stalin, on Saturday from St Bede's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in Chennai, additional chief secretary J Radhakrishnan, designated as spokesperson for govt, told reporters on Friday. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai The camp aims to target people above 40 years, particularly those with diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, and mental health conditions, as well as pregnant women, nursing mothers, people with disabilities, and tribal and marginalised populations through 1,256 high-level health camps across the state. Specialists from at least 15 departments, such as cardiology, neurology, ophthalmology, ENT, and dermatology, and experts in AYUSH systems, will offer free consultations. The camp will offer on-site diagnostics, including ECG, ECHO, ultrasound, and X-ray, besides blood tests for early diagnosis of various non-communicable diseases. "Test results will be delivered through WhatsApp," he said. Camps will be organised on all working Saturdays in schools or colleges, Radhakrishnan said. Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu govt filed the modificiation plea in the high court saying, "the scheme was introduced in the name of the chief minister of the state, who is a constitutional authority, and it cannot be construed to have been introduced in the name of a political personality." The usage of photos of former chief ministers is also not expressly prohibited under the orders passed by the Supreme Court, it added. All the pamphlets, brochures, health camp application forms, and other related documents for the scheme have been printed and distributed throughout the state for the launch of the scheme, the state said. It added that, in addition to the camps, 800 hospitals have been integrated into the scheme to manage the footfall. "If the order of the HC is made applicable immediately, the entire scheme will have to be put on hold, and every material which has been published thus far will have to be redone, which will take several weeks, and all the arrangements made thus far will go to waste," the govt said. The state submitted that the present plea is moved for the limited purpose of seeking clarification from the court so that the same may not be made applicable to the 'Nalam Kaakkum' scheme which is being launched on Aug 2. The issue pertains to an interim order passed by the court on a plea moved by former law minister C Ve Shanmugam of AIADMK, who alleged that the scheme named after Stalin was in violation of the guidelines set by the Supreme Court and the ECI.
