Applause for Dark Red, Deep Blue, and Purple Produce

You may have heard that it’s healthy to consume a colorful rainbow every day. In fact, eating fruits and vegetables of various colors helps ensure that your food intake includes a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Why? Scientific studies have shown that plant-based foods get their vibrant colors from phytochemicals, which are naturally-occurring, bioactive compounds. These phytochemicals, also called phytonutrients, help protect plants from parasites, viruses, bacteria, and fungi. They also offer distinct health benefits for people. Phytochemicals support digestion of larger nutrients, help remove harmful toxins from our bodies, and provide protection against certain diseases. So, a daily diet that includes colorful produce can contribute to good health.

Phytochemicals are responsible for the unique tastes and aromas of plant-based foods that we enjoy. In addition, they shore up a plant’s immune system, strengthening its resistance to environmental stressors and disease. So, it’s not surprising that the phytonutrients we ingest when consuming colorful fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of certain ailments in humans, too. In fact, certain colors signal specific nutritional benefits.

For example, the carotenoids and beta cryptoxanthin found in orange and yellow produce such as carrots, apricots, peaches, oranges, pumpkins, and yellow peppers support improved vision, healthy skin, reduced inflammation, and increased immunity to certain diseases. Members of the onion family, which are predominantly white and brown in color, are rich in allicin, known to help resist tumor development. Green fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals called indoles and isothiocyanates, which inhibit the action of harmful carcinogenic compounds in the human body. Spinach, broccoli, collard greens, kiwi, and green herbs like basil, rosemary, sage, and thyme are rich in these substances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But there’s more to this fascinating story. It turns out that fruits and vegetables with the most vibrant colors are jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Scientific research has shown that deeply-hued produce are phytochemical superheroes. Those intensely saturated colors – dark red, deep blue, or deep purple – indicate rich flavor and an abundance of nutritional benefits. For example, dark red fruits and vegetables, such as cranberries, tomatoes, cherries, beets, strawberries, radishes, and red peppers contain lycopene. That phytonutrient is an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in our bodies, leading to some protection against prostate cancer, as well as support for cardiovascular health.

Deep blue and purple fruits and vegetables contain flavonoids called anthocyanins (antioxidant pigments) that give deeply-hued fruits and vegetables their vivid blue and violet colors. They help those plants attract pollinators and offer some protection from sunlight and cold temperatures.

It turns out that these anthocyanins provide valuable health benefits for humans, too. Anthocyanins are powerful flavonoids that fight off harmful free radicals and help regulate cellular activity in our bodies. Scientific evidence indicates the following advantageous properties of those substances:

• Cancer prevention – protection against certain cancers, such as colorectal, by destroying cancer cells or slowing their growth
• Anti-inflammatory properties – risk reduction for numerous medical issues, such as asthma, diabetes, allergies, and heart disease
• Cardiovascular strength – more flexibility in the arteries, leading to improved blood flow and lower blood pressure
• Brain function – increased blood flow within the brain to support cognitive activity, including learning, focused attention, and memory
• Cellular health – healing damaged cells, delaying the process of cellular aging, and anti-inflammatory activity to prevent the formation of blood clots

Where can you get a daily dose of those curative anthocyanins? Try adding any of these fruits and vegetables to your diet for a powerful antioxidant punch: blueberries, elderberries, blackberries, plums, figs, Concord grapes, purple sweet potatoes, purple cabbage, purple cauliflower, and eggplant. Be sure to eat the skins, as they tend to have the highest levels of these beneficial phytochemicals.

Current dietary guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommend nine daily servings of fruits and vegetables. One serving equals ½ cup of chopped raw vegetables or fruit, so based on a 2000-calorie diet, this translates to approximately 2 ½ cups of vegetables plus 2 cups of fruit every day. Your best bet for optimal health is to aim for 2-3 different colors of produce at every meal, including at least one dark red, blue, or purple fruits or vegetables, also known as “superfoods.” Here are some quick tips to help you reach that goal.

• Try to consume a colorful rainbow every day.
• Strive to include 1-2 servings of deeply-hued produce to daily meals.
• Think fresh and simple. Whenever possible, eat deeply-hued produce raw (without cooking).
• Celebrate seasonal offerings. Choose fruits and vegetables from local farms available at different times of year. Fresh produce is free of preservatives and nutrient-rich in its natural state.
• When fresh produce is unavailable, select frozen fruits and vegetables, instead of canned. (Frozen produce is picked at peak ripeness for best flavor and nutrient value, and canned produce may contain bisphenol A (BPA), which has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and infertility.)
• Add red, blue, and purple berries to your oatmeal, cereal, or yogurt in the morning.
• Fortify your snacks with dark red, deep blue, and purple options, such as red pepper slices, blueberries, plums, or figs.
• Be creative with delicious smoothies, adding bits and pieces of deeply-hued produce into nutritious drinks.

For those with vegetable gardens, there’s an added bonus: the anthocyanins in deeply-hued produce can help prolong the growing season. As an example, purple lettuce tolerates cold temperatures quite well, making frost protection in our region during winter months unnecessary. Beets and purple cabbage can also survive cold and freezing temperatures, extending the availability of those rich sources of nutrition well beyond the traditional growing season. In general, deep red, dark blue, and purple produce are also more resistant to root rot, which can become a problem for some vegetable crops during winter rains.

Now that you know about the value of deeply-hued produce, perhaps you’ll be motivated to dress up your meals with more vibrant colors. You might be rewarded with better health!

Online resources

Phytonutrients paint your plate

Eat a rainbow

A rainbow of colors for nutrition

Add color to your diet

Why eat colorful food

Value of colorful, plant-based food

Anthocyanin

Health benefits of anthocyanins

Eat more phytochemicals

Cold-hardy vegetables