Benefits of Eating a Salad a Day

September 1, 2006 -- For lunch on the run, Gary Perkovac grabs a pre-packed salad at Whole Foods.

"I like salads because they're light, I don't gain weight and I fell better," Perkovac said.

New research from the UCLA School of Public Health finds eating salad daily correlates with higher concentrations of folic acid, vitamins C and E, lycopene and alpha and beta carotene in the bloodstream.

"Well that's sort of a bonus, I didn't even know that," Perkovac said.

Dr. Lenore Arab examined the diet and blood work of more than 17,000 Americans.

"The serving we're talking about here is 90 grams, 90 grams of of salad. That is about a cup depending on what you have," Dr. Arab said.

Researchers say getting your nutrients through your diet is much more effective than taking a multi-vitamin.

"American women, even though they've got such a variety of foods, 80 percent of them don't have enough folic acid, over half of them don't have enough vitamin E. About 20 percent of them don't get enough vitamin C despite their supplements," Dr. Arab said.

Previous research indicates even your dressing is an important part of your salad meal. Just a little bit of fat can go a long way in boosting your body's ability to absorb important nutrients.

UCLA researchers say only a third of Americans eat up to two cups of vegetables a day.

Pam Como eats salad regularly. She says getting veggies on the run is just as convenient as fast food so you can't use that as an excuse.

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