Vegetables and fruits contain a wide variety of both phytonutrients and dietary fiber. These two groups provide numerous benefits to human health including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, as well as fostering favorable microbiome ecosystems. Data over the past 4 decades indicates that most Americans eat limited quantities of vegetables and fruits (2-3 servings per day) from a relatively short list of varieties. Dietary recommendations focus on increasing the number of servings per day. Additionally, it is important to encourage the public to include a wider variety of whole plants from several different vegetable and fruit families each day. Different colored fruits and vegetables provide a wide array of carotenoids and other plant molecules. There is growing interest in a multitude of phytochemicals that have demonstrated an ability to influence gene expression. A major percentage of the nutrient-gene expression pathways discovered thus far are largely found in vegetables and fruits that are less often consumed. Join this discussion with Dr. John Bagnulo MPH, PhD and Laura Dority MS, RD, LD on the importance of including a wider variety of whole plants from several different vegetable and fruit families on a regular basis. This will expand your knowledge and understanding of specific whole plant benefits with several important varieties of fruits and vegetables identified that are exceptionally significant to human health.
References: Nutritional Diversity of Fruits and Vegetables for Gut Health References
APPROVED FOR 1 CPE CREDIT BY THE CDR OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS RDs may claim CE credit for this webinar until 11/9/2025.
Make sure to check to out the Continuing Education Guide for instructions on how to complete and earn your credit for this course!