According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “In 2019, 12.3% and 10.0% of surveyed adults met fruit and vegetable intake recommendations, respectively.” Adults are recommended to consume 1.5–2 cups of fruits and 2–3 cups of vegetables every day. Unfortunately, most of us miss that mark.
A new TikTok trend has popped up that is helping to address the national fruit and veggie consumption shortage. It is called “Dinosaur Time,” and it was at the heart of a recent NPR article.
“People have taken to shoving fistfuls of greens into their mouths, sometimes straight from the bag, so they can get all of the nutrients — fiber, vitamins C and K, calcium, iron — with minimal effort.” NPR reported.
“The trend has been dubbed “Dinosaur Time,” and it may have been started by a former middle school science teacher in California named Amy Garrett, who uses the TikTok handle @sahmthingsup and has nearly 50,000 followers.” the outlet also stated.
In 2020, a team of researchers affiliated with several U.S. health and academic institutions conducted a study examining the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. Their study’s findings were published in the academic journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.
“Fruits and vegetables have potential health-promoting effects beyond providing basic nutrition needs in humans, including their role in reducing inflammation and their potential preventive effects on various chronic disease states leading to decreases in years lost due to premature mortality and years lived with disability/morbidity.” the researchers stated.
“Current evidence suggests that fruits and vegetables have the strongest effects in relation to prevention of cardiovascular diseases, noting a nonlinear threshold effect of 800 g per day (i.e., about 5 servings a day).” the researchers also stated.
“Data from the systematic reviews and mostly observational studies cited in this report also support intake of certain types of fruits and vegetables, particularly cruciferous vegetables, dark-green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, and dark-colored berries, which have superior effects on biomarkers, surrogate endpoints, and outcomes of chronic disease.” the researchers concluded.
Typically, anything that boosts the daily intake of fruits and vegetables is a great thing. With that in mind, I think that “Dinosaur Time” is a fun way to do just that, and I am happy that the trend is reaching people.
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