Maximizing the Rainbow of Colors for Your Health
Choosing the most colorful foods to eat on a daily basis ensures you are getting lots of antioxidants which can help to decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia and macular degeneration. In addition, the antioxidants in these foods help to increase your immune system effectiveness so your body can help battle incoming viruses that might make you sick. Each color in a vegetable or fruit represents a different set of antioxidants which contain different health benefits. Common antioxidants are: vitamins C and E, beta carotene (precursor to vitamin A), lutein, lycopene, anthocyanins and isoflavones.
|
Color |
Food Sources |
Nutrient (s) |
Benefit (s) |
|
Red |
Tomatoes, red bell peppers, pink grapefruit, watermelon, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, pomegranates, red-skinned apples, guava. |
Lycopene |
Prostate cancer fighters. Reduced risk of macular degeneration & cataracts. Protective against lung & heart disease. |
|
Red/Purple |
Grapes, grape juice, apples, cranberries. |
Flavonoids |
Clot busters. May prevent heart disease
|
|
Orange |
Sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, pumpkin, orange bell peppers, apricots, mangoes. |
Alpha- and beta carotene
|
Cancer fighters which improve immune function. |
|
Orange/ Yellow |
Yellow bell peppers, yellow summer squash, cantaloupes, oranges, tangerines, peaches, papaya, nectarines. |
Cryptoxanthin |
Cancer fighters which improve immune. Improves reproductive & bone health. Improve blood pressure.
|
|
Yellow/ Green |
Spinach, kale, Swiss chard, arugula, asparagus, yellow corn, green peas, celery, parsley, watercress, artichokes, okra, avocado, honeydew melons, kiwi. |
Lutein and zeaxanthin |
Protect retinas from macular degeneration and cataracts.
|
|
Green |
Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage.
|
Sulforaphane |
Cancer fighters by reducing tumor growth. Blocks carcinogens from initiating cancer. Fight hormone-related cancer.
|
|
White/ Green |
Garlic, onions, endive, chives, potatoes, mushrooms, cauliflower, leeks, jicama, rutabagas, bananas. |
Organosulfides |
Cancer fighters, and clot busters. Contain strong anti-bacterial properties.
|
|
Blue/ Purple |
Eggplant, purple cabbage, purple potatoes, blueberries, plums, blackberries, prunes, dark grapes. |
Anthocyanins, antioxidants |
Cancer fighters and possible brain boosters. Prevent blood clots from forming.
|
*Reference: Reader’s Digest Foods that Harm, Foods that Heal. 2013 edition.
Feature image from: Almay
By Barbara Day, M.S., R.D. is a registered dietitian with a Master’s Degree in clinical nutrition. She is the Chief Blog Organizer for www.DayByDayLiving.net
Barbara worked as a research nutritionist with the military’s tri-service medical school & working as a performance nutrition consultant to Navy SEALS’ BUD/S Training Program and West Coast active Navy SEAL Teams. Barbara is the former nutrition performance consultant to the University of Louisville Athletic Department. She is the author of Fast Facts on Fast Food For Fast People and High Energy Eating Sports Nutrition Workbook for Active People used by the University of Louisville, University of Tennessee Lady Vols and the Tennessee football program, the LSU basketball program, the Buffalo Bills, the Cleveland Browns and by the United States Navy SEALs.
The former publisher of Kentuckiana HealthFitness Magazine, Kentuckiana Healthy Woman magazine and radio show host of Health News You Can Use, Barbara has over 30 years of experience in promoting healthy lifestyles to consumers. Barbara is a former runner who walks, a spinner, hiker a mother and grandmother to 13 grandchildren.
