The Food Color Wheel

Diversity in Fruits & Veggies
is Key for
Good Health & Longevity!

APRIL, 2018

Eating a diversity of colorful foods, as in vegetables, fruits, and salads, may be your best strategy to stay healthy into an old age! It turns out that the greatest impact on our health is what we eat every day or week.

Yet, it seems when you ask people about their veggies or fruit habits, most will respond that on average they eat about 6-8 different vegetables, plus the same 2-3 fruits per week. It is not so clear why we do that. Many say it is because of limited time, or the spouse or family members don’t like certain foods, or it’s lack of imagination, or simply habit and routine.

How To THRIVE

What is clear though is that a narrow choice in veggies & fruits is not making us healthy yet!! If we could increase that amount to 18-20 vegetables and 6-8 fruits per week, we have a far better chance to stay healthy into old age. Note that research says, ideally we should choose between 50 – 60 different vegetables / salads / fruits per week to harness the greatest health benefit! Therefore, if you want to THRIVE eat as many different colorful foods and you will get the complete range of vitamins, minerals & phytonutrients.

The Link between Color & Phytonutrients

Science has long confirmed that every color in veggies and fruits is caused by specific phytonutrients, which protect the plant against all kinds of germs, bugs, or too much of sun’s rays, or other harmful microorganisms. Of course, our body does not react to color the same way. But it turns out that every plant-nutrient and color has one or more beneficial properties for us! One approach is to put the fruits and vegetables into 6 basic different color categories. When doing so you refer to these color categories as red, orange, yellow, white, green and purple/blue. So let’s take a look at what we call the ‘Food Color Wheel’ and its benefits.

The rule for veggies, fruits or salads is usually: the more intense the color, the greater the phytonutrient’s benefit for our health.

RED

Red fruits & vegetables contain phytochemicals, like lycopene, carotene, quercetin, or ellagic acid. These powerful nutrients have been studied for their cancer-fighting effects, for reducing inflammation, reducing the risk of Diabetes II, lowering cholesterol, or improving heart & brain health, and even skin quality. Beyond that it is worthwhile to note that red berries & fruits have been shown to be valuable for heart health & reduced risk of Diabetes II in women. Find out more about the study here.

ORANGE

Orange fruits & vegetables are rich in Vitamin C and carotenoids, including beta-carotene, which we cannot synthesize ourselves. Some carotenoids, most notably beta-carotene, convert to vitamin A within the body, which helps promote cell growth and lower oxidative stress & inflammation. Beta-carotene is known to boost immune function in the body, to protect the skin & the eyes, even support a healthy pregnancy, and improve respiratory health.

Of course, Vitamin C is excellent to improve circulation, prevent heart disease, inflammation, and promote collagen formation.

Plus all citrus fruits contain hesperidin, a powerful antioxidant that protects heart & brain, lowers inflammation and keeps skin, gums and bones healthy.

YELLOW

Benefits of yellow foods cross over to the orange ones; benefits are found to be similar, especially in darker yellow ones. Therefore, you will find that many nutritionists list the two colors together. And yet, one study specifically shows that the yellow vegetables, together with other plant-based foods, have been proven to lower the risk of Diabetes II.

Overall, fruits & vegetables rich in the color yellow, are also rich in Vitamin C – the same as the color orange – plus they contain plenty of carotenoids & bioflavonoids that function as an antioxidant. These antioxidants neutralize free radicals that we produce naturally every minute and every day, which damage our cells. A great reason to eat plenty of yellow & orange fruits & veggies.

WHITE

White fruits & vegetables (and light brown) contain active properties, e.g. beta-glucans, EGCG or catechins, and quercetin. They protect against certain cancers, keep bones strong, and are a ‘healthy-heart-choice’. These nutrients provide powerful immune boosting activity as they activate natural killer B and T cells.

Garlic and onions are in the allium family of vegetables and contain the powerful cancer-fighting compounds allicin and quercetin.

And phytonutrients in white button mushrooms have been found to inhibit aromatase activity and breast cancer cell proliferation. Another 10 year study of white fruits & veggies found a significant lower risk of stroke which is attributed to the flavonoid quercetin.

PURPLE / BLUE

Blue & purple fruits and vegetables fight cancer, unwanted inflammation, and protect brain function. They are especially rich in anthocyanins & resveratrol. These two phytonutrients have been extensively studied for their anti-cancer benefits, brain support and anti-aging properties. They also provide numerous heart healthy benefits.
Studies show that the bioactive phytochemicals in darker berries work specifically to repair damage from oxidative stress & inflammation. The darker the blue or purple color, the higher the concentration of phytochemicals in it.

GREEN

Green vegetables & fruits boost the immune system, help detoxify the body, and restore energy & vitality. Green leafy vegetables are rich in chlorophyll as well as isothiocyanates. These reduce carcinogenic agents from the liver.

Green vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, or cabbage (the Brassica family) also contain other anti-cancer compounds, like sulforaphane or indole-3-carbinol.
It is worthwhile to note that green cruciferous vegetables and green organic powders are loaded with phytonutrients, like Vitamin K, folic acid, and potassium, which are very beneficial in cancer prevention and for overall good health.

Eat your Colors, get your Phytonutrients!

From personal experience we can tell you that good health is not so much a matter of planning, but of delightul choices of colorful veggies, salads, and fruits.

Especially when you go shopping for groceries, just make sure that your cart is filled with colorful produce – pleasant for the eye and rich in vital nutrients that help you live a long & healthy life.

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