Food Colors and their Benefits

The colors of the rainbow are beautiful, and they will actually stimulate your mind in different ways. Just like the color red is stimulating, yellow makes you happy, and blues and greens help you to relax.

Did you know that the colors in food will also provide you with a variety of health benefits? You’d be amazed to find that each color on your plate provides unique benefits – thanks to simple little compounds called phytochemicals.

Here are the rainbow-colored health benefits of your fruits and veggies:

Red — Tomatoes are a bright red, and they are loaded with lycopene – an antioxidant that will keep your heart healthy. Raspberries also are a solid red, and they contain ketones – a fat-busting nutrient that gives it its unique aroma and flavor.

Orange — While you’d think oranges (the fruit named after the color) would be the best, it’s actually carrots and pumpkins that embody the beneficial power of the color. Both are loaded with beta-carotene, a form of Vitamin A that your body needs to keep your skin, hair, and nails healthy.

Yellow — Corn is the yellowest food around, and it’s loaded with healthy fiber and special phytochemicals named zeaxanthin and lutein. These two compounds fight off degeneration in the cells of your eyes, keeping your vision healthy. Lemons are also bright yellow, and they’re loaded with immunity-boosting Vitamin C.

Green — Pretty much every green vegetable on the planet is rich in chlorophyll, a nutrient that will keep your body at a healthy pH balance. They are also loaded with folic acid, which helps to promote healthy cell growth. Finally, crunchy veggies like collard greens and broccoli contain glucosinolates to fight off cancer, and spinach is loaded with red blood cell-producing iron.

Blue — Blueberries are pretty much the only fruit or veggie of this color, but they loaded with more antioxidants than almost any other fruit on the planet. These antioxidants keep your brain working properly, keep your motor functions healthy, and can fight off heart disorders and cancer.

Purple — Dark red grapes, red wine, and dark grape juice are loaded with resveratrol, a heart-boosting, cholesterol-fighting, brain-improving antioxidant. Acai berries are also dark purple, and they have 33 different types of antioxidants for your health! Don’t forget about red cabbage and beets(really a dark purple), which contain a swelling-preventing antioxidant named anthocyanins.

The more colorful the veggies are, the more of these phytonutrients and antioxidants they contain. Foods like lettuce, celery, and green cabbage are tasty, but they’re nowhere near as healthy as carrots, tomatoes, red cabbage, and dark leafy greens. You may not like them as much, but they’re worth eating!