How Eating more bright-colored fruits, and vegetables may boost women's health.

 Vegetables may boost women's health

 Vegetables 

 Although women tend to have longer lifespans than men, they also have more health conditions.

Likewise, while women tend to have more robust immune systems as trusted Sources than men, they also account for 80%Trusted sources of autoimmune conditions.

Many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease trusted Source, and age-related macular degeneration, are more common in women than men.

Trusted Source suggests that these differences may arise from different levels of exposure to oxidative stress both from lifestyle factors and internal factors such as endocrine differences.

If this is the case, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory elements in the diet may be a benign way to reduce oxidative and inflammatory stress and thus improve health.

Recently, researchers reviewed studies investigating the effect of diet on autoimmune conditions in women.

They found that intake of pigmented carotenoids may be important for preventing visual and cognitive loss.

The review was published in Nutritional Neuroscience.

Neuroscience

“This review builds on decades of previous work conclusively showing that a diet high in fruits and vegetables- many of which contain carotenoids, responsible for some of the vivid colors of fruits and vegetables- is associated with healthy aging and longevity, and a lower risk of chronic disease,” said Amy Keller Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes at the University of Colorado Denver, not involved in the review.

“The reasons why this is so are probably multifactorial, but possible reasons why carotenoids are beneficial are because of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity,” she added.

Evidence of carotenoids’ health benefits

Carotenoids

In the review, the researchers noted that low bone mineral density can be detected in females in their 30s and acceleratesTrusted Source after menopause.

Studies have shown that some carotenoids may slow bone loss.

These include lycopene — found in tomatoes, as well as beta-carotene and lutein (L), and zeaxanthin (Z) which are found in leafy greens and eggs.

The researchers also noted that higher levels of L and Z are linked to lower incidence and prevalence of cataractsTrusted Source and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Previous research suggests that carotenoids inhibitTrusted Source brain beta-amyloid deposition and slow down fibril formation, both of which are associated with dementia.

They further noted that L and Z increase cellular efficiencyTrusted Sources and improve cognitive function in children, young adults, older adults, and those with cognitive impairment.

Other research shows that L and Z are crucial for infant development. One study found that women in the highest quartile of L and Z intake had children with a 38% lower risk of trusted sources of poor vision when assessed three years later.

The researchers added that other studies demonstrate that high levels of serum carotenoids have also been linked to a reduced risk of: