What types of benefits can I get from my food?

    Published: 06-16-2009
    Views: 7,861
    Dietitian Sarah Alligood discusses the benefits you can get from food.

    Host: What types of benefits can I get from my food?

    Sarah Alligood: Well, food provides so much more than just calories. You can get all types of benefits. When you were little, your mom probably told you to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Well, the reason behind that is because fruits and vegetables have tons of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, things that have a variety of health benefits in your body. They can reduce your risk of getting certain illnesses for example, heart disease also, they can keep your bones nice and strong, all kinds of benefits. There are other foods as well other than fruits and vegetables that have had components added to them that also provide benefits. A great example is yogurt. Yogurt can be made with friendly bacteria that can help keep your digestive system nice and healthy, maybe even boost your immunity. Other foods like some orange juices and some margarines have components added that can improve your heart health. So as you can see, there is all kinds of benefits you can get from your food.