By Rudo Shoko

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that more people from developing countries are likely to die of chronic diseases by 2030.
This is according to a new study by the global health organisation.
More people are at risk of chronic illness due to less consumption of fruits and vegetables, increase in urbanisation and unhealthy lifestyles.
The fresh warning by WHO comes as a lot of people have, of late developed a negative attitude towards the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
The latest WHO report recommends that on average, each person must consume a minimum of 400 grammes of fruit and vegetables per day (excluding potatoes and other starchy tubers) to have an improved diet.
Chronic or non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose one of the greatest threats to public health growth at national and global levels.
NCDs are directly associated with people’s unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking, being sedentary and bad eating habits.
The benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables of all kinds, including tomatoes, are impressive in notching down some of the non-communicable diseases.
A 2002 WHO report states that low fruit and vegetable intake is estimated to cause about 31 percent of heart disease and 11 percent strokes worldwide.
Overall, it is estimated that up to 2,7 million lives could potentially be saved each year if fruit and vegetable consumption were sufficiently increased.
While all fruits and vegetables are healthy, below are several pointers on some nutrition powerhouses:
Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable and part of the brassica family, which also include cabbage, Brussel sprouts, turnips and cauliflower.
Members of the brassica family are rich in phytochemicals known to have anti-oxidant properties.
Broccoli is a true nutrition powerhouse full of vitamin C, mineral calcium, fibre and vitamin A.
It is also rich in sulforaphane, a health-promoting compound that can fight cancer.
Carrots are a good source of fibre which helps maintain bowel health, lower blood cholesterol and aid in weight maintenance.
The orange pigment found in carrots is due to the anti-oxidant beta-carotene, also found in other deep orange foods such as sweet potatoes, pumpkin and butternut squash.
Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body and helps maintain healthy eyes, support your immune system, keep your skin healthy and protect against certain cancers.
Spinach is available all year round in grocery stores around the country, offering a readily available source of many vitamins and minerals.
Spinach contains phytochemicals that boost your immune system preventing certain cancers.
Beets contain healthy doses of iron, the vitamin B-vitamin folate and fibre. Red beets offer betacyanin, a plant pigment which may protect against colon cancer.
Watermelon which is especially terrific during summer, offers a juicy, sweet taste and high water content while packing anti-oxidants lycopene, beta-carotene and Vitamin C and the minerals potassium and magnesium.
Cantaloupe, this member of the melon family which is rich in the anti-oxidant beta-carotene, a plant-based vitamin A.
It helps with eye health among other conditions.
It is also rich in the mineral potassium, which may help lower blood pressure and guard against the risk of stroke.
Citrus fruits, including oranges and grape fruit, provide a significant source of vitamin C, folate, potassium as well as fibre.
Pink grapefruits are particularly rich in the anti-oxidant lycopene.
Eating these fruits whole yields more nutrient than drinking the juice.
Avocados are rich in heart healthy mono unsaturated fats, which may help raise levels of HDL (good cholesterol) while lowering LDL (bad cholesterol). They are also high in the anti-oxidant vitamin E.
Grapes can reduce the risk of blood clots and prevent damage of the heart’s blood vessels, aiding in the maintenance of healthy blood pressure.
Anti-oxidants called flavonoids may increase HDL cholesterol. Eating the whole fruit instead of consuming the juice contains the added benefit of fibre.
Kiwi fruit is green inside and is packed with vitamin C and fibre.
Despite nutrition education programmes, vegetable consumption is limited, posing a threat to most of the people’s health.
Fruits and vegetables provide a significant part of nutrition to the human body, as they are important sources of nutrients, dietary fibre and phytochemicals.
People who spoke to Patriot Health this week said buying fruits and vegetables is a waste of money, while others seemed oblivious to the positive impact of consuming fruits and vegetables.
“I cannot afford to waste money on puerile foods but instead I can buy basic food like sadza and potatoes which can accommodate my family for a long time,” said Florence Mpanje from Harare.
Eating a diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables has been linked to improved health and for a good reason.
Vegetables and fruits (both fresh and frozen) are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fibre and anti-oxidants, which have been shown to protect against chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer, among others.