10 Vegetables That Aren't As Good For You As You Think
Forget everything you think you know.
By Shana Lynch
Forget everything you think you know.
Everyone knows you should eat your veggies, but there are some potential health risks if you prepare them a certain way (think dousing them with salt and frying them up), or if you choose to buy conventional instead of organic (some vegetables will absorb those pesticides more easily than others). When consuming these 10 veggies, use extra caution.
Bell Peppers
Nightshade vegetables, like peppers, potatoes, and eggplant, are are controversial, because many claim they can cause inflammation, according to Cynthia Sass, a registered dietician. This can lead to some pretty serious complications down the line: heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, to name a few. However, the research is inconclusive and if you can eat nightshade veggies and feel fine—keep at it!
Broccoli
These little trees aren't too bad for you health-wise, but they can lead to increased bloating, which no one wants to deal with. Try one of these foods to fight bloating instead.
Brussels Sprouts
Just like broccoli, brussels sprouts are cruciferous vegetables, which means they not only make you more gassy, they also lead to increased pungency of your flatulence. This is because of raffinose and sulphate. Raffinose, a sugar, isn't digested until it reaches the large intestine where it is then fermented. Sulphate is what leads to the smell.
Canned Vegetables
Canned vegetables are chock-full of excess salt and "flavor enhancers," which are a problem for digestion and can lead to stomach pains. Additionally, the sodium levels in a can of vegetables are out of this world. This doesn't really come as a surprise because it's fairly easy to determine that something coming out of a can can't be that healthy for you.
Celery
Despite the belief you can burn calories just by chewing celery, it's actually a pretty nutrition-less vegetable. It has also been found to contain up to 68 pesticides, according to the USDA. Yuck.
Corn
This summer favorite has unfortunately been subjected to some crazy genetic modifications. Because of this, when we bite into an ear of corn, our bodies are introduced to proteins that we don't know, which could result in major sensitivities and could also be why corn is such a common allergen. According to Dana McDonald, RD, the long-term safety of consuming GMO's on humans is a risk, however, the evidence is lacking, so it's impossible to know for certain, but definitely something to be aware of.
Additionally, corn is usually served with a lot of butter and salt, which is never good for you.
Eggplant
Eggplant is beloved substitute for meat because it easily soaks up flavor. Unfortunately, this also leads to it's downfall; because they act like sponges, eggplant not only pick up flavor, but soak up all the fat, calories, and sodium as well.
Peas
Peas, like potatoes and corn, are a really starchy and glycemic vegetable, which can lead to weight gain, increased blood sugar levels, and high hunger levels.
Potatoes
While potatoes do contain a lot of potassium and vitamin C, they are usually skinned (which removes fiber), fried, and covered in salt, virtually destroying any nutritional value. So, no, French fries don't count as a vegetable, unfortunately.
Spinach
Spinach is usually considered one of the healthiest vegetables because it's full of vitamins A and K and has anti-cancer properties, but when you buy conventional (non-organic) spinach, you're at risk for exposure to almost 50 pesticides. Play it safe and splurge for organic in this case.
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