You’ve probably heard the phrase “eat the rainbow” before. And it’s not just because pretty colours look better on your Instagram shots!
Brightly coloured fruit and vegetables contain phytonutrients and these vibrant compounds are essential to your health. Professor Kerryn Phelps explains why:
“The more variety of natural colour you eat, the more likely it is that you are getting enough of these important nutrients. As an exercise, think of all the colours in your food on an average day. I asked a patient to do this recently. […] The colours in her day looked like this:
- “Morning: porridge with brown sugar and a coffee with skim milk (beige and brown).
- “Morning tea: a few crackers with Vegemite and a cup of tea (beige and brown).
- “Lunch: a chicken sandwich on white bread (beige and white).
- “Dinner: whatever she has the energy the throw together. Usually pasta.
“You get the message. Her food choices were leaving her with virtually no fruit and vegetables and she was feeling as colourless as her diet. So, think colour!”*
Uh-oh. Does your diet also come in sepia tones? With spring produce bringing the full spectrum of colours, it’s the perfect time to kick your diet into Technicolour. Here’s a crash course on the health benefits of eating the rainbow.
(Note: There are SO MANY phytonutrients, so we’re just covering some of the main ones today!)
Red.
The most potent source of red pigment is lycopene, which, according to emerging science, may help prevent coronary heart disease and prostate cancer. Some rich sources include tomatoes, grapefruit, capsicums, red carrots and purple cabbage.
Orange/yellow.
These pigments are anything but mellow. Carotenoids (a class of A-vitamins found richly in carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, capsicums and even egg yolks) have been found to protect against various cancers. Some carotenoids, like zeaxanthin and lutein may also contribute to optimum eye health.
But there’s one yellow pigment which rules over the rest – curcumin, found in turmeric. A powerful anti-inflammatory, there’s emerging evidence that curcumin helps prevent everything from strokes to cancer to Alzheimer’s. Just make sure to eat it with fat for optimum bioavailability.
Green.
You’ll remember from biology class that chlorophyll is what makes plants green, but did you know it’s also a potential anti-inflammatory and cancer fighter? But that’s not all you’ll get from eating ya greens. Sulforaphane in particular also shows promise in preventing cancer (you can find it in whiffy, pungent veggies like broccoli and Brussels sprouts).
Purple.
Purple foods won’t just stain your carpet, they’ll also leave a mark on your health. Resveratrol, found in dark berries and (gasp!) red wine, has been shown to protect against metabolic disease and neurological deterioration.
No-bake Blueberry + Cardamom Cheesecake
White.
Conventional dietary wisdom tells us to cut white foods out, but there are serious benefits to keeping them in your diet (in moderation, of course). Cauliflower contains pungent glucosinolates, another cancer fighter, while allicin (the smelly stuff in garlic) is known to fight germs.
*This is an edited extract from Ultimate Wellness by Professor Kerryn Phelps, published by Pan Macmillan Australia.
We originally published this article in February 2016. We updated it in October 2016.
Do you try eating the rainbow?
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