Nutrition & Health

The Nutritional Value Of Color

Now that summer has arrived, we can enjoy the increase in produce available at grocery stores and farmers’ markets. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories; high in fiber; and packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting phytonutrients.  For health and environmental reasons, it is best to include five to nine servings of fruits per day and to buy organic when possible.

When choosing your fruits and vegetables, it is important to include a wide variety of colors. Each color offers a unique combination of nutrients that work together to protect your health; so the more different natural colors you include in your daily diet, the better off you are.

Here are some health benefits associated with different fruit and vegetable colors:

REDS Tomatoes, watermelon, papaya, and pink grapefruit are among the red pigmented fruits and vegetables that contain lycopene. This powerful antioxidant helps fight heart disease and some types of cancer, particularly prostate cancer.

GREENS A great source of vitamins (including folate, one of the B vitamins) green vegetables also provide minerals and fiber. Some - including spinach, collards, kale and broccoli - contain antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that can protect aging eyes from developing cataracts and macular degeneration. They may also protect against clogging of the carotid arteries in the neck. Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale and turnips contain antioxidants and other phytonutrients that reduce cancer risk.

ORANGES/YELLOWS Sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes, apricots and other yellow or orange fruits and vegetables are rich in beta carotene, an antioxidant that boosts the immune system. These fruits and vegetables also provide vitamin C and folate, needed to reduce the risk of heart disease and prevent certain birth defects. Pineapples, in particular are rich in vitamin C and bromelain, an anti-inflammatory enzyme that helps break down proteins. Additionally, corn and pears are high in fiber.

BLUES/PURPLES The blue color in blueberries, purple grapes, açaí berries, red cabbage, beets, and plums comes from anthocyanins, phytochemicals that protect against carcinogens and may help prevent heart disease and improve memory. Blueberries, in particular, are rich in Vitamin C and folic acid and high in fiber and potassium.

WHITES Garlic, onions and other white-hued vegetables contain allicin, a phytochemical which may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.  Other phytochemicals called polyphenols, found in pears and green grapes, may reduce the risk of some types of cancer.  

Adapted from Andrew Weil, MD

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