Veggies boast so many nutritional benefits that it is difficult to isolate which ones are better than others.

Kale is a cruciferous vegetable that is excellent in the fight against heart disease and is not as widely talked about in the vegetable family, as it should be. Kale is very high in vitamin C content as well as beta-carotene. Both of these are effective at decreasing the negative effects of bad cholesterol in the blood known as “HDL.” But that is not all. Kale is also rich in fiber, vitamin B6 and the minerals copper, potassium and manganese.

Pumpkins are not just for Halloween. This colorful vegetable is rich in beta-carotene and is full of fiber, which is similar to its cousins, the butternut winter squash and Hubbard winter squash. Pumpkins and winter squash are particularly beneficial in reducing the risk of cataracts in women. A study done at Harvard University showed that women who ate both fruits and vegetables on a regular basis that are very high in beta carotene have a 39 percent lower incidence of developing cataracts than do women who consume much less beta carotene than that.

Green peppers are good at fighting cancer but an even better choice is red bell peppers. Not only do red bell peppers help to prevent various cancers but they are also chocked full of extra amounts of beta-carotene. Red bell peppers are rich in potassium and vitamin C and have excellent antioxidant properties. Not only that but red bell peppers are effective at fighting cancer because they reduce the development of such things as carcinogenic nitrosamines. Nitrosamines develop in the body as a result of eating foods that contain nitrites such as bacon for example. It is important to limit your consumption of foods that contain nitrites.

Spinach is full of many different kinds of vitamins and minerals and its antioxidants properties are almost off of the charts. Spinach is a vegetable that women in particular should eat a lot of because it is rich in folic acid which reduces the risk of neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida but it also helps to protect against the precursor to cervical cancer, which is cervical dysplasia. Studies looking further into the benefits of spinach for women have found that women who eat spinach regularly or every day on average are 43 percent less likely to end up having a stroke than are women who eat spinach once in the course of a month or less than that.

White and red potatoes contain plenty of fiber and beta-carotene but sweet potatoes boost even higher quantities of both. In a study done at Harvard University it was found that females who ate 15 to 20 milligrams of beta-carotene on a daily basis showed a lower risk of having a heart attack (a 39 percent less risk) than did women who ate roughly less than 6 milligrams of beta-carotene on a daily basis. There is 13 milligrams of beta-carotene contained in a half a cup of mashed sweet potatoes.

Tomatoes contain an important chemical called lycopene and this is believed to help prevent a variety of different cancers from starting. Lycopene is also found in red grapefruit. Tomatoes also contain hearty quantities of vitamins A and C as well as potassium and fiber.