Did you know that food colors not only tell us when a fruit is ripe or not, but they also tell us other important aspects? The colors of the foods you consume daily have to do with your physical and emotional health, and depending on the color, they will provide us with certain qualities and nutrients. If you think about it carefully, it is no coincidence that each season of the year gives us fruits and vegetables with their beautiful characteristic colors. Nature has everything planned to provide all living beings on the Planet with what they need at any time of the year, wherever they reside. The 7 colors of food and their health benefits.
The 7 Food Colors and Their Health Benefits
Knowing this, you will be able to improve your diet and your health in a simple and effective way, in addition to enjoying it visually, let’s face it, food always comes first through the eye since colors influence appetite.
But in addition, the pigments that give the characteristic color of fruits and vegetables mean much more than simply making them visually attractive. Thanks to its high content of vitamins, minerals and fiber, the consumption of these nutrients will help us delay cellular aging, protecting our entire body.
The colors of foods, especially fruits and vegetables, provide very specific phytochemicals that are precisely what give those characteristic and striking colors.
The most common are carotene, chlorophyll and flavonoids, among others. They all work as a team with vitamins C and E, powerful antioxidants, protecting all tissues of the body.
“The more diverse the colors of the foods we put on our table, the better,” says Liliana Cabo, dietitian-nutritionist at the Association of Dietitians-Nutritionists of Asturias (ADDEPA), since this way we will benefit from the entire color wheel.
Here I present the foods and their different colors and how they can benefit you:
Orange and Yellow
In this group we find all citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, tangerines and grapefruits. The range of carotenoids, a-carotenes and b-carotenes, which are precisely responsible for the orange or yellow color of carrots, pumpkin, mango, apricots and peaches.
Yellow and orange colors are related to joy, vitality, youth, good humor, sunlight and attention.
These fruits contain powerful antioxidants such as vitamin A and C, folic acid, magnesium, potassium and fiber. Vitamin A (provitamin A) is essential for the immune system, the good condition of the skin and mucous membranes. And the famous vitamin C, another powerful antioxidant essential for the synthesis of collagen, to boost the immune system and help the correct absorption of iron.
The yellow ones in particular belong to the group of flavonoids that contain zeaxanthin, a carotenoid that protects sight.
Yellow and orange foods are also very good for improving our skin, combating aging, and helping with digestive diseases.
Green
This is the group that covers the largest number of foods. There are Kiwis, all the leafy greens, peppers, green beans, artichokes and avocados.
They are foods rich in chlorophyll and lutein, powerful antioxidants. They also contain a lot of folic acid, magnesium, potassium and fiber. Avocado and spinach, for example, also contain zeaxanthin.
Green foods, thanks to their high chlorophyll content, are essential for keeping tissues oxygenated and alkaline, in addition to promoting detoxification of the body and especially the liver. This is why the color green is one of the favorite colors when doing liquid fasts or semi-fasts based on detoxifying juices.
As if that were not enough, green foods will help us improve digestion, prevent constipation and cardiovascular diseases.
ADDEPA nutritionist, María Elena Marques explains that lutein and zeaxanthin – powerful antioxidants – “are Xanthophylls that belong to the carotenoid family” that protect us against ophthalmic diseases such as cataracts, in addition to helping to preserve good vision.
Red
It is one of the most ostentatious and striking colors. Red foods evoke passion and exoticism.
In this group we find tomato, red pepper, watermelon, strawberries, raspberries and pomegranates. This color increases the respiratory rate, increases blood pressure, stimulates appetite and improves mood.
Red foods are a source of vitamin C, magnesium and phytochemicals, powerful natural antioxidants. But above all they contain lycopene, a type of carotenoid that has been the subject of many studies.
Lycopene, a phytochemical contained in these foods, strengthens our cardiovascular system and protects us against various types of cancer in addition to improving memory according to numerous studies.
Red fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes and watermelon, owe their color precisely to lycopene, which is a natural plant pigment belonging to the group of carotenoids, with antioxidant, anti-cancer and anti-aging properties.
These fruits stimulate our immune system and protect our DNA. They have a purifying effect, promoting the elimination of toxic substances from our body.
Likewise, red fruits, containing Pro vitamin A, protect our skin from the sun. Another very interesting characteristic of these red fruits is that they promote the absorption of iron, helping to combat anemia.
White
The color white is associated with purity and peace of mind.
White fruits and vegetables are: apple, pear, cauliflower, endive, onion, garlic, leek and cabbage.
According to a study carried out by Wageningen University in the Netherlands, it was found that white foods have a very high concentration of phytochemicals such as alcins, anthoxanthins and inulin, which makes them particularly interesting for improving our health.
Foods with white pulp, for example, have properties capable of reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and even avoiding strokes.
And all this is thanks to the presence of Flavina, which is precisely responsible for the white color.
These nutrients promote cell renewal and control blood glucose and triglyceride levels, preventing countless vascular problems.
Likewise, all white vegetables are very good prebiotics for our intestinal bacteria.
In turn, these foods have a great advantage and that is their calcium content, a mineral that helps lower blood pressure. They also contain potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, making these vegetables very alkalizing. They boost the immune system, fight inflammation and infections.
As examples we have the apple, which helps reduce cholesterol and protects against infections. The pear that is diuretic and rich in fiber. Cauliflower and endive that help reduce blood pressure. Onion, which is also diuretic and anti-inflammatory, and garlic, which is considered a natural antibiotic.
Blue and Purple
The color blue and purple is associated with longevity.
In this blue and purple group we find: blueberries, purple grapes, red cabbage, eggplant, blackberries, beets, plums and red onion.
This group is especially rich in phytochemicals, Anthocyanins, being another wonder of nature that should not be missing from your diet.
According to North Carolina State University, blue fruits and vegetables contain powerful phytochemicals, substances that protect the body against dangerous diseases, in addition to having a powerful anti-aging effect. These substances are only found in the plant kingdom, the most important being Anthocyanin and Phenolics (Phenols).
Both Anthocyanin and Phenols help prevent cancer and cardiovascular diseases; They help delay the aging process by preserving memory as they especially nourish the brain.
Blue fruits also protect the urinary tract.
Likewise, they contain vitamins and minerals that are essential for our health.
Black grapes, for example, also contain Resveratrol, a powerful anti-cancer antioxidant, according to North Carolina State University. In addition, grapes have been shown to be an antidiabetic antioxidant that prevents clots.
Blueberries, in turn, in addition to being a great source of antioxidants, contain stilbene derivatives that act in conjunction with vitamin D, enhancing the function of a protective gene of the immune system. And it also contains vitamins, potassium, iron, calcium, tannins and fiber.
Beets have anti-inflammatory and digestive properties thanks to their high content of non-hydrochloric Betaine. It was discovered thanks to a study carried out in 2013 by researchers at Saint Louis University that eating beets or drinking beet juice intensely improves sports performance thanks to its high content of Nitrate (NO3): Nitric Oxide.
Recipe: Longevity Salad
Here I leave you a recipe that you will surely love. I call it the Longevity or Long Life salad!!!
I advise you to eat this salad regularly to achieve TOP health and vitality. This recipe is a perfect combination of vitamins and minerals, omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9 essential fatty acids, iron, B vitamins and others. It is the ultimate in functional foods and its ingredients will nourish you to the fullest.
For the salad:
- 4 cups chopped raw dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach, chard, collard greens, or beet or mustard greens. You can also do a combination of several.
- ½ cup diced avocado
- ½ cup chopped sweet seaweed
- 1 cup of chopped cucumbers (if organic you can leave the skin or part of it)
- 1/2 cup hemp seeds
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup blueberries
- 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast or brewer’s yeast.
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons of first-press flax oil.
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
- 2 tablespoons of Tahin (sesame paste).
- The juice of 1 lemon.
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or Herbamare salt mix or Himalayan salt.
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
Preparation:
First mix all the chopped salad ingredients in a bowl. Make sure the Dulce seaweed does not stick to each other.
Then mix all the dressing ingredients in another smaller bowl. If you see that the sauce is very thick you can always add a little water to taste until you obtain the desired texture.
Add the dressing and mix very well.
I advise you to take it when it is still crispy and fresh to benefit from its vitamins and minerals to the fullest.
