More Color More Health
Growing up you may have been told to eat your greens, but what about your
reds, oranges, yellows and blues? The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the 5 A Day Partnership encourages YOU to "Sample the
Spectrum" of the colorful vegetables and fruit available this season. By
putting something of every color on your plate or in your lunch bag, you are
more likely to eat the 5 to 9 recommended servings of vegetables and fruit
every day. Just think: 1 cup of dark, leafy GREENS, ½ cup of RED tomatoes, ½
cup of YELLOW peppers, 6 oz. ORANGE juice and ½ cup of BLUEberries. And you
have 5 A Day! It’s quite simple when you Sample the Spectrum.
The more reds, oranges, greens, yellows, and blues you see on the plate, the
more health promoting properties you are also getting from your vegetable
and fruit choices. Nutrition research shows that colorful vegetables and
fruit contain essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals that
your body needs to promote health and help you feel great. Here are the
specifics…
Reds
When you add deep reds or bright pinks to your daily diet, you are also
adding a powerful antioxidant called lycopene. Lycopene is found in
tomatoes, red and pink grapefruit, watermelon, papaya and guava. Diets rich
in lycopene are being studied for their ability to fight heart disease and
some cancers.
Greens
Do you know why this color is so essential to your diet? Not only do green
vegetables look great and taste wonderful, but they are rich in the
phytochemicals that keep you healthy. For example, the carotenoids lutein
and zeaxanthin that are found in spinach, collards, kale and broccoli have
antioxidant properties and are being studied for their ability to protect
your eyes by keeping your retina strong. Also, research is being done on
cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale,
and turnips to see if they may reduce the risk of cancerous tumors! Greens
are also loaded with essential vitamins (folate), minerals, and fiber.
Oranges/Yellows
Orange, the color of a blazing sun, is a must have in your daily diet.
Orange vegetables and fruits like sweet potatoes, mangos, carrots, and
apricots, contain beta-carotene. This carotenoid is a natural antioxidant
that is being studied for its role in enhancing the immune system. In
addition to being touted as a powerful health-protector, the orange group is
rich in Vitamin C. Folate, most often found in leafy greens, is also found
in orange fruits and vegetables, and is a B vitamin that may help prevent
some birth defects and reduce your risk of heart disease. With a chemical
make-up this good, make the orange group always a part of your 5 to 9 a day.
Bright yellows have many of the same perks as the orange groups: high in
essential vitamins and carotenoids. Pineapple, for example, is rich with
Vitamin C, manganese, and the natural enzyme, bromelain. Additionally, corn
and pears are high in fiber. Yellow fruits and vegetables belong to many
different families, but they all share the common bond of being health
enhancing with great taste. Go for the gold!
Blues/Purples
Blues and purples not only add beautiful shades of tranquility and richness
to your plate, they add health-enhancing flavonoids, phytochemicals, and
antioxidants. Anthocyanins, a phytochemical, are pigments responsible for
the blue color in vegetables and fruits, and are being studied for their
role in the body’s defense of harmful carcinogens. Blueberries, in
particular, are rich in Vitamin C and folic acid and high in fiber and
potassium.
Whites
Vegetables from the onion family, which include garlic, chives, scallions,
leeks, and any variety of onion, contain the phytochemical allicin. Research
is being conducted on
- Allicin to learn how it may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure
and increase the body’s ability to fight infections.
- Indoles and sulfaforaphanes, phytochemicals in cruciferous vegetables
like cauliflower, for how they may inhibit cancer growth.
- Polyphenols, another important phytochemical in pears and green grapes
for how they may reduce the risk of certain cancers
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