81 2-Uncaster Farming, Saturday, May 20, 1995
All Gardens
Great & Small
by
York Co
Horticultural Agent
Tom Bea
GARDENING
FOR YOUR HEALTH
Looking for a health food store?
Look no further than your vegeta
ble garden.
Studies have shown that fresh
grown produce can be higher in
vitamins and minerals than store
bought produce. Part of the reason
for this is that nutritional content
declines over time, and when you
pick up your produce from the
garden just before you eat it, the
vegetables retain higher levels of
nutrients. A fresh-picked, vine
ripened tomato can have up to
three times the ascorbic acid (vita
min C) content of a supermarket
tomato, depending on how it was
grown. “The fresher the better”
really is true.
If you do pick your produce
from the garden in advance of us
ing it, be sure to refrigerate it right
away. At room temperature
(70‘F), vegetables lose up to 50
percent of their vitamin C content
after 24 hours. Refrigeration at
43*F slows that loss down to about
10 percent over 10 days.
Health experts (and mothers)
are constantly reminding us to eat
lots of fresh vegetables, and that
often means we have to get them
at the supermarket, which is fine.
But during the summer, home gar
dens can provide fresh picked ve
getables that can yield higher nut
rient levels. You probably grow
vegetables because you thought
they simply tasted better. Well,
they do, and they also are better
for you, so take advantage of the
summer’s harvest.
To help you realize how smart
you are for cultivating your own
health food store, included is a
chart of some essential vitamins
and minerals and the food sources
they come from. Listed are the
common garden vegetables you
can grow and harvest for your
healthy eating. For each element
listed, the vegetables are listed in
order of highest to lowest content,
but all listed vegetables are a
ready source of the vitamin or
mineral given. Source: National
Garden Bureau, Suite 310, Butler
field Road, Downers Grove, IL
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60515.
Mineral or Vitamin Sour
ces include:
Calcium: For strong bones and pepper. Carrots, Broccoli,
maintaining blood pH balance Selenium: A major anti-oxidant
Parsley, Broccoli, Looseleaf let- (protects cells from harmful oxi
tuce, Celery, Green beans. Cauli- elation by free radicals), strength
flower. ens immunity Com, Legumes,
Copper, For elasticity of blood vegetable, when grown in a proper
vessels, strength of connective tis- soil.
sues, health of cardiovascular sys- Vitamin A; Anti-oxidant,
tem Most vegetables if grown strengthens immune system
in a properly mineralized soil. Carrots, spinach, red sweet pep-
Iron: Carries oxygen to cells per. Butternut squash, Romaine
Parsley, spinach, butterhead let- lettuce. Parsley, Looseleaf lettuce,
tuce, Looseleaf lettuce, green Green pepper, Zucchini,
peas, broccoli, green beans, To- Vitamin B 6: Needed to meta
matoes. bolize protein Spinach, Cauli-
Magnesium: Essential for ner- flower, Broccoli, Sweet pepper,
vous system Spinach, beet Parsley, Zucchini, Tomato, Sum
greens, broccoli, parsley, summer mer squash, Romaine lettuce,
squash, celery, cucumber, green Beans, Eggplant.
beans, looseleaf lettuce, tomatoes,
sweet peppers.
Manganese: Needed to meta- lar disease, strengthens immune
bolize proteins and fat Beans, functions Red sweet pepper,
peas, lentils. Green pepper, Parsley, Cauliflow-
Potassium: Maintains proper er. Broccoli, regular Cabbage, Ro
fluid level in cells Spinach, cel- maine lettuce, Brussels sprouts,
ery, Romaine lettuce. Parsley,
Zucchini, Radishes, Looseleaf Ict-
Subscription Price:
$25.00 per year; $48.00 - 2 years
$35.00 per year outside of:
PA, NJ, OH, MD, DE, NY, VA & WV
• P.S. - Don’t Forget Your Father-In-Law!
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Lancaster Farming
P.O. Box 609
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tuce, Cauliflower, Winter and
summer squash. Tomato, Cucum
ber, Eggplant, Green beans. Sweet
Vitamin C: Anti-oxidant, pro
tects against cancer, cardiovascu-
(Turn to Page B 13)
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