Why add fruits and vegetables to our diet?

Why are fruits and vegetables important in our diet?  Have you heard of antioxidants?  Antioxidants protect us from those pesky free radicals that the experts believe do cellular damage.  Our bodies produce free radicals.  (Think of them as chemicals with unstable electrons which cause damage to our cells).  When we eat and drink fruits and vegetables, we get antioxidants.  The antioxidants attach to the unstable electrons (making a stable compound) and remove the free radicals from our bodies.  Some common antioxidants include (among other compounds) vitamin C and E.  The experts believe that eating fruits and vegetables help protect us from cellular damage. 

Some very important plant-based chemicals called phytochemicals are found in fruits and vegetables.  Included in the list of phytochemicals (plant-based chemicals) are lycopene (found in tomatoes, watermelon, red peppers), betacarotene (found in orange and dark green vegetables) and lutein (found in dark greens) to mention a few.  When we eat fruits and vegetables, our body gets antioxidants and can better protect itself from cellular damage.  http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/what-are-phytochemicals