Kitchen gardening: good for the body, mind and soul

Kitchen gardening also an excellent source of physical activity, can end up burning 400 calories per hour

MULTAN: Vegetables are prime sources for many nutrients such as potassium and folic acid which play a significant role in maintaining good health.

However, in Pakistan, the vegetable consumption per person is only 51 kilogrammes per year as compared to the 71 kilogrammes per year in the rest of the world.

Speaking to APP, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture (MNSUA) Vice-Chancellor Dr Asif Ali stated that kitchen gardening needs to be promoted to produce healthy vegetables in households.

However, he cautioned that vegetables are grown in urban areas for sale and commercial purposes are often irrigated with sewage. “Therefore, they contain residual toxic compounds which can cause many diseases including cancer, diarrhoea and hepatitis,” he added.

He expressed that there is a marked difference between the taste of a tomato plucked straight from the garden and one bought from a grocery store. The latter is devoid of all flavour, he said.

He also highlighted that kitchen gardening is also an excellent source of physical activity which can end up burning 400 calories per hour. It also has mental health benefits as it relieves stress and keeps the mind agile, he added.

MNSUA Department of Agronomy Lecturer Nabeel Ahmad Ikram stated that the importance of a kitchen garden is manifold. Green vegetables contain vitamins and minerals which can protect us against diseases, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2019.