Cooking something green for St. Patrick's Day may not bring luck, but it may bring good health. Nutrition research suggests that the more green veggies you eat, the healthier you will be. The National "5 A Day for Better Health" partnership advises that green vegetables be an important part of your recommended five to nine servings of vegetables and fruits a day.

What makes green vegetables so healthy? One reason is that they are packed with nutrients and phytochemicals — substances found only in plants that may help fight disease and improve health. Lutein (pronounced LOO-teen) is a powerful antioxidant found in green leafy vegetables. It is being studied for the role it may play to help maintain good vision.

Indoles (pronounced in-DOLS) are another group of phytochemicals found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and brussels sprouts. Indoles are being studied for their role in helping protect against breast cancer (which affects one out of every eight women in the United States) and prostate cancer (which affects one out of every six men in the U.S.). In a recent study, men who ate cruciferous vegetables at least three times a week had a 42 percent reduction in risk of prostate cancer.

For more information and healthy recipes, go to www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5ADay/campaign/color/greens.htm.