What happens if you dont eat fruits

Fresh, frozen, dried, and canned all count for your fruit and vegetable servings. And if canned is what you like, choose low- or no-sodium for vegetables and look for fruit packed in juice, not heavy syrup. It can be very helpful to get guidance on your diet: Seek out a registered dietitian in your area who can take a look at what you are eating and see where you need to make some changes based on your current health status.

Nutrition Nutrition Basics Food and Health. Sarah Pflugradt is a registered dietitian nutritionist, writer, blogger, recipe developer, and college instructor. Sarah has experience in clinical nutrition, outpatient nutrition counseling, and WIC Overseas. Sarah has authored many nutrition and wellness articles online and in-print, and has been quoted in digital publications and websites as a nutrition expert.

Sarah's website, Sarah Pflugradt Nutrition , is dedicated to nutrition for active families. Connect on LinkedIn. Maintaining your overall health and longevity could all depend on how many fruits and vegetables you get every day. Video of the Day. Your Weight Might Go Up. The development of type 2 diabetes happens over time. Your Heart Health May Suffer. So you're literally nourishing your skin from the inside out. One study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that blueberries effectively reduced inflammation and exercise-induced muscle damage from a strenuous leg workout.

In the experiment, 10 women drank either a blueberry smoothie or a placebo 5 to 10 hours before a workout and another 12 to 36 hours after the exercise. By measuring blood biomarkers of oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity up to 60 hours after exercise, researchers found that the blueberry smoothie accelerated muscle recovery to speak strength, with a faster decrease in oxidative stress occurring at 36 hours post-exercise.

Other research noted in Antioxidants in Sport Nutrition involving runners suggests tart cherry juice minimizes post-run muscle pain, delays time to fatigue, and promotes muscle recovery. Fatigue and lightheadedness are common symptoms of low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, during exercise. By avoiding fruit, you are missing out on one of the easiest, quickest ways to top off the fuel glycogen in your muscle that you'll need to power through your workout full of energy.

Fruits are a good source of healthy carbs , which makes them a great source of quick fuel that won't leave you feeling bloated when you start exercising. And because fresh fruit also contains fiber, it's unlikely to cause blood sugar spikes, followed by a crash. Cravings for sweets are an interesting and often overlooked side effect of not eating enough fruit. When the body is lacking magnesium, you will begin to crave chocolate. Athletes on a fruitless diet may experience more respiratory problems, including an exacerbation of exercise-induced asthma, according to studies highlighted in Antioxidants in Sports Nutrition.

The research suggests that athletes on a high-antioxidant diet may be protected against training- and pollution-induced inflammation of the airways. Of course, vegetables also can supply those powerful inflammation-fighting antioxidants, but experts recommend eating a wide range of whole foods—both fruits and vegetables—to gain the greatest variety of nutrients. Your gut is teeming with microorganisms—helpful and harmful—that affect your digestive health and your immune system.

Without the fiber and plant-based micronutrients called polyphenols you get from eating fruits and vegetables, your gut microbiota can become imbalanced. Scientists believe the disruption of this fine microbiota balance plays a role in many disorders and diseases, including allergies, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and obesity. For the body to run its best, we also need water-soluble vitamins.

And since the body cannot make these vitamins or any vitamins , we have to get them from the food we eat. When considered as a group, vegetables are unusually rich sources for a full mixture of water-soluble vitamins. Food Pyramid encourage servings of vegetables per day. When it comes to vegetables, there is also their abundance of phytonutrients think FIGHT-o-nutrients to consider. In the science of food, no change has been bigger than the discovery of phytonutrients and their unique place in our health.

Phytonutrients include all of the unique substances that give foods their gorgeous colors, their delicious flavors, and their unique aromas.

They are also the nutrients most closely linked to prevention of certain diseases. Carotenonids and flavonoids are the two of the largest groups of phytonutrients, and there is no food group that provides them in amounts as plentiful as vegetables. The phytonutrients in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, and in root vegetables like onions and garlic, are unique when it comes to decreased risk of certain cancers, and some of these phytonutrients simply cannot be found in other food groups.

Finally is the amazing digestive benefits that come from the high-fiber content of vegetables. Dietary fiber is critical for our health, not only on a daily basis, but on a meal-by-meal and snack-by-snack basis as well.

Food cannot move through our digestive tract in a healthy way unless it is fiber-rich. And, vegetables are some of the very richest sources of fiber that exist.

Vegetables contain cellulose, which increases stool weight, eases passage, and reduces transit time. Eating fruits and vegetables is key to reducing calorie consumption. Without fruits and vegetables in your diet, you will most likely be consuming foods smaller in volume and higher in calories, leading to a lack of satiety or an excessive intake of overall calories.

The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the more likely you are to have a healthier body weight and a smaller waist circumference. So, when we don't consume enough fruits and veggies, we put a larger strain on our immune system, making us more prone to getting sick. For real, guys and gals. Plus, veggies and fruits are packed with potassium and water which typically would counteract the bloat most people experience from getting too much salt. Behold: 25 Foods That Beat Bloating!

They aren't exactly sure why, but suspect the antioxidants can play a role in optimism. Eating fresh watermelon or a juicy peach does put a smile on my face! Your body does so much for you—why not return the favor? Check out these high-potassium foods to keep your muscles healthy and strong. Sorry, but supplements don't have all the answers. While some of these protectors may be found in some other plant foods, the naturally-occurring, health-boosting combinations of phytonutrients in each fruit and veggie can't be replicated," say The Nutrition Twins.

If you want to stay healthy, you need your fruits and veggies! That run-down, low-energy, blah-times-twelve feeling shouldn't be your norm!