Color Diets

Everyone is talking about including at least 5-9 serving of fruits and vegetables daily. The reason being- to maintain good health and prevent heart problems, diabetes and even cancer. This can be done by adding different colors to your diet to stay healthy and disease free. The colors in fruits, vegetables and other plant foods are loaded with antioxidants and flavonoids, they are the protective, bioactive components found in plants which may be responsible for improving and maintaining health.

It is important to know that many antioxidants are often identified in food by their distinctive colors—the deep red of cherries and of tomatoes; the orange of carrots; the yellow of corn, mangos, and the blue-purple of blueberries, blackberries, and grapes. The most common foods with antioxidant activities are foods containing vitamins A, C, and E; β-carotene; the mineral selenium; and the compound lycopene.

Let us thus, breeze through the range of colors available and the necessary details to remember…..

Selection of Colored Foods
Adding color to your diet by eating different colored fruits and vegetables will give you the required amount of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber which will help build your immune system, protect against heart disease, cancer, macular degeneration and age-related degeneration. It is not enough to eat only one color like eat only blue or red color but one must ensure to eat all the colors in a day to protect against oxidative damage.
Red
when you add deep red or bright pinks to your daily diet, you are also adding a powerful antioxidant called lycopene which aids in fighting heart disease and some cancers especially prostrate cancer. Lycopene is found in watermelon, radish, pink grapefruit, red bell pepper and especially tomatoes.

Orange
Orange, this color contains antioxidant beta-carotene, which is good for eyes and immunity. Citrus fruits are also rich in Vitamin C and folate. Include at least one serving from this group in your daily diet. These nutrients are found in carrots, mango, apricots, cantaloupes, pumpkin, sweet potato, yam, and zucchini.

Orange/Yellow
Rich with Vitamin C and manganese, pineapple, oranges, peaches, papaya, yellow bell pepper are also rich in vitamin A and boost ones immunity.

Yellow/Green
Yellow corn, green peas, avocado, honey dew melons are high in potassium and fiber which promotes optimal muscle function and gut motility.

White
White food stuffs contain phytochemical allicin which helps increase the body’s resistance to fight infections, lowers cholesterol, and lowers blood pressure. Foods that are high in allicin include leeks, garlic, white onions, celery, pears, chives, green onions, cucumber, cauliflower, artichoke, okra, kiwi, and guava.
Add onions and garlic to your meals. They can improve your calcium intake and also provide chromium, a trace mineral which helps to regulate your blood sugar levels, blood pressure and lowers blood cholesterol levels.
Bananas are excellent sources of potassium. They are also high in vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium and manganese and fiber.

Cauliflower, belonging to the cruciferous family, is rich in folates and has cancer-fighting properties.

Everybody’s favourite white vegetable, the potato, is an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, Vitamin B6, niacin and thiamin. Avoid potato in fried form like French fries but baked potato without butter is fine once in a while. Always eat the potato with its skin.
Green Green vegetables are rich in phytochemicals like carotenoids and luetin which protect against cancer and is also good for eyes; they also contain Vitamin K and calcium which are essential for blood clotting and bone integrity .Leafy green vegetables are also rich in iron and fiber, e.g.. Spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens, leafy green vegetables, broccoli, brusselsprouts, Chinese cabbage, kale, romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, asparagus and green bell pepper.

Purple/Blue
Blues, purples, and red colored foods give health-enhancing flavonoids, phytochemicals, anthocyanins, and antioxidants. Anthocyanins, with its strong anti-inflammatory properties help to improve the elasticity of blood vessels, skin, and blood clotting abilities. Beetroot, eggplant (brinjal), purple grapes, prunes, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, red apples, red onions, dates, figs, cherries, red wine, and red cabbage are being studied for their role in the body’s defense of harmful carcinogens.

Having studied the array of colors available to build our good health, it is imperative to understand the concept of ‘Antioxidants’; ‘Free Radicals’ and the relationship between the two.

What is free radical damage and benefits of antioxidants/ Flavonoids to our health?
Antioxidants are substances found in foods and help to prevent/slow the oxidative damage to our body. The biochemical reaction taking place in our body naturally produces free radicals as by-products which can cause damage to our body.

Free radicals are molecules containing unpaired electrons and are highly reactive with other cellular structures. Free radical-generating substances are found everywhere around us. It can be in the food we eat, the drugs and medicines we take, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. These substances include fried foods, alcohol, tobacco smoke, pesticides, air pollutants, and many more. Free radicals can cause damage our body cells by stealing their electrons through a process called oxidation. (This is why free radical damage is also called “oxidative damage.”) When free radicals oxidize the cells, then they lose their ability to function normally, and eventually the cell dies.

The Antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers" and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals to our body cells. Antioxidants generally donate an electron to the free radical before it can oxidize other cell components. Once this pairing takes place, the free radical is stabilized and becomes non-toxic to cells. Health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, early ageing etc are all contributed by oxidative damage. Thus eating food rich in antioxidants will prevent free radical damage.
Different types of antioxidants and its sources.

Antioxidants are abundant in plant foods like fruits and vegetables, nuts and whole grains

• Beta-carotene is found in many foods that are orange in color, including sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, apricots, pumpkin, and mangos. Some green leafy vegetables, spinach, and kale are also rich in beta-carotene.
• Lutein, abundantly found in green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale and collard greens are best known for healthy eyes.
• Lycopene , a potent antioxidant is found abundantly in tomatoes, papaya, watermelon, guava, apricots and pink grapefruits..
• Selenium is a mineral, and an important component of antioxidant enzymes. Rich sources are whole grains like wheat, brown rice, nuts like brazil nuts and green leafy vegetables.
• Vitamin A , a powerful antioxidant is found in foods like milk and its products, eggs, liver and antioxidant carotene is rich in carrots, green leafy vegetables, other green, red and yellow fruits and vegetables .
• Vitamin C, and can be found in high abundance in many fruits and vegetables Citrus fruits like oranges, sweet lime, strawberries, tomatoes, gooseberry ( amla), green peppers, broccoli, potatoes.

• Vitamin E, is found in nuts and oilseeds like almonds, in many oils including wheat germ, safflower, corn and soybean oils, and also found in mangos, nuts, broccoli.

Flavonoids (known as bioflavonoids) are colorful antioxidants found in plants. They have potential beneficial effects on human health and are responsible for the colors seen on various fruits and vegetables, like the color of grapes and berries .Their potency depends on their molecular structure. Their antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities depend on the positioning of the hydroxyl group in their chemical structure. Flavonoids are known for their antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti tumor and anti allergic properties. Quercetin, ( the most abundant dietary flavonol ) is highly potent because of its structural features. Flavonoids are found in plenty in soya, red wine, pomegranate, tea. Lignans are found in oatmeal, rye, flax seeds and barley.

Some simple tips and suggestions to add color to your diet….
Total goal for adults is 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day!

Some suggestions for adding color to your diet are:
• Reduce your meat intake
• Switch from mashed potatoes to sliced carrots
• Add more color with red pepper, tomato sauce, garlic, onions or broccoli
• Have mixed berries for dessert
• Aim for multicolored fruit salads
• Throw every color you find at a salad bar on your plate
• Make sure each meal at least has 3 to 4 different colors, eg- yellow dal, green vegetables, purple/ red salad. Vegetables.

Phytochemicals like flavonoids and antioxidants are found abundant in beans, grains, fruits and vegetables. Look for fruits with bright color - lutein in some of the yellow pigments found in corn; orange in cantaloupe and mango; red from lycopene in tomatoes and watermelon, and purple and blue in berries. So enjoy eating a variety of these products. It is best to obtain these antioxidants from foods instead of supplements. In addition, minimize the exposure of oxidative stress such as smoking and sunburn.

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	Home > Color Diets
	Color Diets Everyone is talking about including at least 5-9 serving of fruits and vegetables daily. The reason being- to maintain good health and prevent heart problems, diabetes and even cancer. This can be done by adding different colors to your diet to stay healthy and disease free. The colors in fruits, vegetables and other plant foods are loaded with antioxidants and flavonoids, they are the protective, bioactive components found in plants which may be responsible for improving and maintaining health. It is important to know that many antioxidants are often identified in food by their distinctive colors—the deep red of cherries and of tomatoes; the orange of carrots; the yellow of corn, mangos, and the blue-purple of blueberries, blackberries, and grapes. The most common foods with antioxidant activities are foods containing vitamins A, C, and E; β-carotene; the mineral selenium; and the compound lycopene. Let us thus, breeze through the range of colors available and the necessary details to remember….. Selection of Colored Foods Adding color to your diet by eating different colored fruits and vegetables will give you the required amount of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber which will help build your immune system, protect against heart disease, cancer, macular degeneration and age-related degeneration. It is not enough to eat only one color like eat only blue or red color but one must ensure to eat all the colors in a day to protect against oxidative damage. Red when you add deep red or bright pinks to your daily diet, you are also adding a powerful antioxidant called lycopene which aids in fighting heart disease and some cancers especially prostrate cancer. Lycopene is found in watermelon, radish, pink grapefruit, red bell pepper and especially tomatoes. Orange Orange, this color contains antioxidant beta-carotene, which is good for eyes and immunity. Citrus fruits are also rich in Vitamin C and folate. Include at least one serving from this group in your daily diet. These nutrients are found in carrots, mango, apricots, cantaloupes, pumpkin, sweet potato, yam, and zucchini. Orange/Yellow Rich with Vitamin C and manganese, pineapple, oranges, peaches, papaya, yellow bell pepper are also rich in vitamin A and boost ones immunity. Yellow/Green Yellow corn, green peas, avocado, honey dew melons are high in potassium and fiber which promotes optimal muscle function and gut motility. White White food stuffs contain phytochemical allicin which helps increase the body’s resistance to fight infections, lowers cholesterol, and lowers blood pressure. Foods that are high in allicin include leeks, garlic, white onions, celery, pears, chives, green onions, cucumber, cauliflower, artichoke, okra, kiwi, and guava. Add onions and garlic to your meals. They can improve your calcium intake and also provide chromium, a trace mineral which helps to regulate your blood sugar levels, blood pressure and lowers blood cholesterol levels. Bananas are excellent sources of potassium. They are also high in vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium and manganese and fiber. Cauliflower, belonging to the cruciferous family, is rich in folates and has cancer-fighting properties. Everybody’s favourite white vegetable, the potato, is an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, Vitamin B6, niacin and thiamin. Avoid potato in fried form like French fries but baked potato without butter is fine once in a while. Always eat the potato with its skin. Green Green vegetables are rich in phytochemicals like carotenoids and luetin which protect against cancer and is also good for eyes; they also contain Vitamin K and calcium which are essential for blood clotting and bone integrity .Leafy green vegetables are also rich in iron and fiber, e.g.. Spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens, leafy green vegetables, broccoli, brusselsprouts, Chinese cabbage, kale, romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, asparagus and green bell pepper. Purple/Blue Blues, purples, and red colored foods give health-enhancing flavonoids, phytochemicals, anthocyanins, and antioxidants. Anthocyanins, with its strong anti-inflammatory properties help to improve the elasticity of blood vessels, skin, and blood clotting abilities. Beetroot, eggplant (brinjal), purple grapes, prunes, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, red apples, red onions, dates, figs, cherries, red wine, and red cabbage are being studied for their role in the body’s defense of harmful carcinogens. Having studied the array of colors available to build our good health, it is imperative to understand the concept of ‘Antioxidants’; ‘Free Radicals’ and the relationship between the two. What is free radical damage and benefits of antioxidants/ Flavonoids to our health? Antioxidants are substances found in foods and help to prevent/slow the oxidative damage to our body. The biochemical reaction taking place in our body naturally produces free radicals as by-products which can cause damage to our body. Free radicals are molecules containing unpaired electrons and are highly reactive with other cellular structures. Free radical-generating substances are found everywhere around us. It can be in the food we eat, the drugs and medicines we take, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. These substances include fried foods, alcohol, tobacco smoke, pesticides, air pollutants, and many more. Free radicals can cause damage our body cells by stealing their electrons through a process called oxidation. (This is why free radical damage is also called “oxidative damage.”) When free radicals oxidize the cells, then they lose their ability to function normally, and eventually the cell dies. The Antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers" and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals to our body cells. Antioxidants generally donate an electron to the free radical before it can oxidize other cell components. Once this pairing takes place, the free radical is stabilized and becomes non-toxic to cells. Health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, early ageing etc are all contributed by oxidative damage. Thus eating food rich in antioxidants will prevent free radical damage. Different types of antioxidants and its sources. Antioxidants are abundant in plant foods like fruits and vegetables, nuts and whole grains • Beta-carotene is found in many foods that are orange in color, including sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, apricots, pumpkin, and mangos. Some green leafy vegetables, spinach, and kale are also rich in beta-carotene. • Lutein, abundantly found in green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale and collard greens are best known for healthy eyes. • Lycopene , a potent antioxidant is found abundantly in tomatoes, papaya, watermelon, guava, apricots and pink grapefruits.. • Selenium is a mineral, and an important component of antioxidant enzymes. Rich sources are whole grains like wheat, brown rice, nuts like brazil nuts and green leafy vegetables. • Vitamin A , a powerful antioxidant is found in foods like milk and its products, eggs, liver and antioxidant carotene is rich in carrots, green leafy vegetables, other green, red and yellow fruits and vegetables . • Vitamin C, and can be found in high abundance in many fruits and vegetables Citrus fruits like oranges, sweet lime, strawberries, tomatoes, gooseberry ( amla), green peppers, broccoli, potatoes. • Vitamin E, is found in nuts and oilseeds like almonds, in many oils including wheat germ, safflower, corn and soybean oils, and also found in mangos, nuts, broccoli. Flavonoids (known as bioflavonoids) are colorful antioxidants found in plants. They have potential beneficial effects on human health and are responsible for the colors seen on various fruits and vegetables, like the color of grapes and berries .Their potency depends on their molecular structure. Their antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities depend on the positioning of the hydroxyl group in their chemical structure. Flavonoids are known for their antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti tumor and anti allergic properties. Quercetin, ( the most abundant dietary flavonol ) is highly potent because of its structural features. Flavonoids are found in plenty in soya, red wine, pomegranate, tea. Lignans are found in oatmeal, rye, flax seeds and barley. Some simple tips and suggestions to add color to your diet…. Total goal for adults is 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day! Some suggestions for adding color to your diet are: • Reduce your meat intake • Switch from mashed potatoes to sliced carrots • Add more color with red pepper, tomato sauce, garlic, onions or broccoli • Have mixed berries for dessert • Aim for multicolored fruit salads • Throw every color you find at a salad bar on your plate • Make sure each meal at least has 3 to 4 different colors, eg- yellow dal, green vegetables, purple/ red salad. Vegetables. Phytochemicals like flavonoids and antioxidants are found abundant in beans, grains, fruits and vegetables. Look for fruits with bright color - lutein in some of the yellow pigments found in corn; orange in cantaloupe and mango; red from lycopene in tomatoes and watermelon, and purple and blue in berries. So enjoy eating a variety of these products. It is best to obtain these antioxidants from foods instead of supplements. In addition, minimize the exposure of oxidative stress such as smoking and sunburn. Back