Colorful Diet - Types, Health Benefits, and Importance

Introduction:

To demonstrate the importance of eating various fruits and vegetables, doctors and health professionals may advise to ‘eat the rainbow’ or ‘eat the colors.’ Our fruits and vegetables have many beautiful colors, which are very beneficial and have many health advantages. Plants contain different phytonutrients and pigments which provide them their color. Therefore, different colored plants are linked to higher levels of specific health benefits and nutrients.

Which Are the Colorful Fruits and Vegetables to Eat?

Red Color

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are filled with a substance called lycopene.It gives them a bright color and helps them protect themselves from the sun's ultraviolet rays. In the same way, lycopene can protect the cells of the human body. Tomatoes contain vitamin B, E, potassium, and other nutrients. Lycopene reduces the chances of stomach, lung, and prostate cancer. They might help to prevent the disease in the colon, pancreas, throat, breasts, mouth, and cervix.

• Lycopene also helps lower low-density lipids or bad cholesterol levels and reduces blood pressure.

• Tomatoes contain zeaxanthin and lutein, which help to protect human eyes from the blue light generated by digital devices like computers and smartphones.

• Tomatoes help prevent emphysema, a condition that slowly damages the air sacs in the lungs. They also prevent stroke by preventing clot formations in the blood vessels.

• Lycopene in tomatoes also helps prevent gum diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis.

Watermelon: Watermelon is sweet, juicy, and a perfect treat to quench thirst in the summer heat. This large red fruit contains nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamin A and C. Some of the health benefits of watermelon are:

• It helps the body to stay hydrated and function properly. Watermelon comprises 92 % of water. Due to high water content, the watermelons are low in calorie density.

• Watermelon contains a variety of nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, vitamin A and C.

• Watermelon is a rich source of citrulline, an amino acid that helps to improve exercise performance.

• It contains antioxidants such as carotenoids, lycopene, and cucurbitacin E. These compounds help combat free radicals, unstable molecules that can accumulate and damage the body. This damage could lead to diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases.

• The lycopene and cucurbitacin E in watermelon have anti-cancer effects and prevent colorectal and prostate cancer.

• Watermelon contains citrulline, an amino acid that can increase nitric oxide levels in the body, which helps the blood vessels to expand and lower blood pressure. Some heart-healthy vitamins and minerals in watermelon include magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A, B6, and C.

• Inflammation is the main cause of many chronic diseases in the body; a combination of antioxidants lycopene and vitamin C helps to lower inflammation and oxidative damage.

Grapefruit: Grapefruit is a tropical citrus fruit with a sweet yet tart taste. It is rich in nutrients, fibers, and antioxidants. Some of the healthy factors of grapefruit are:

• Similar to watermelon, grapefruits are also low in calories and high in nutrients. Grapefruit enhances and makes the immune system strong. Vitamin C present in grapefruit acts as an immunity booster.

• Vitamin A in grapefruit protects the body against inflammation and several infectious diseases.

• Grapefruit also contains some vitamin B, zinc, copper, and iron, which strengthen the immune system and maintain the integrity of the skin.

• The high fiber content in grapefruit helps to promote fullness after eating and reduces the body's calorie intake. This helps in weight loss.

• Consumption of grapefruit also prevents insulin resistance which can lead to diabetes.

Orange and Yellow:

Carrots: Carrot is a root vegetable that is crunchy, tasty, and very nutritious. It can be consumed both raw and cooked. It contains many vitamins and antioxidants, which are very important for health. Carrots can be found in many colors, such as yellow, white, orange, purple, and red. Carrots are a good source of vitamins and minerals such as:

• Vitamin A: Carrots are rich in beta carotene, converted into vitamin A in the body. This nutrient promotes good vision and is important for growth, immune function, and development.

• Vitamin K1: It is also known as phylloquinone. Vitamin K1 is important for blood coagulation and promotes bone health.

• Biotin: It is vitamin B, formerly known as vitamin H, and plays an important role in protein metabolism.

• Vitamin B6: It helps in the conversion of food into energy.

Bananas: Bananas are convenient, delicious, inexpensive, and incredibly healthy fruit. Bananas contain several essential nutrients and may help digestion, weight loss, and heart health.

• The soluble fibers and resistant starch in bananas help to regulate blood sugar levels.

• Resistant starch, a type of fiber found in unripe bananas, is prebiotic, which helps in digestion and maintaining gut microbiomes.

• Bananas aid in weight loss as they are very nutritious and filling, containing only 100 calories.

• Bananas contain antioxidants like flavonoids which have health benefits such as the reduced risk of heart disease and degenerative illness.

Pumpkin: Pumpkin is a winter squash belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family.

Pumpkin has many nutritious and health benefits:

• Pumpkins contain antioxidants such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. This helps neutralize free radicals and stops them from damaging the body's cells.

• Pumpkin is rich in Vitamin A and C; thus, it can be considered an immunity booster.

• Pumpkin can be considered a weight-loss promoter as it contains very few calories compared to other carbohydrate sources such as potatoes and rice. It is also a good source of fibers.

• Carotenoids in pumpkins protect the body against certain cancers.

• Pumpkin is rich in potassium, which has several heart benefits.

Corn: Corn is one of the world’s most popular cereal grains known as maize. The main component of corn is a carbohydrate; however, it ranks very low in glycemic index ranking. The glycemic index measures the time carbohydrates take to digest. Foods that rank high on this index may take longer to digest and are unhealthy. Corn has a fair amount of vitamins and minerals, such as :

Manganese: Being a trace element, it occurs in high amounts in legumes, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. However, it is poorly absorbed from corn due to corn’s phytic acid content.

Phosphorus: It is found in some amounts in sweet corn and popcorn and plays an important role in the growth and maintenance of body tissue.

• Some other minerals present in corn are magnesium, zinc, and copper.

• Vitamins found in corn are pantothenic acid, folate, niacin, and vitamin B6.

Green: Almost all the vegetables are green and very rich in nutrients. Here are some of them:

Spinach: Spinach is a leafy vegetable with many benefits, such as reducing oxidative stress, reducing blood pressure levels, and preventing cancers.

• Spinach is rich in insoluble fiber, which boosts immunity in several ways. It also contains some sugar in the form of fructose and glucose.

• Spinach is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, C, K1, folic acid, calcium, and iron.

• Spinach comprises several plant compounds such as kaempferol, quercetin, zeaxanthin, nitrates, and lutein.

Broccoli: It is a green vegetable that resembles a small tree and is a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, fibers, and antioxidants. It can be consumed both cooked and raw.

• Broccoli contains high levels of glucoraphanin; a compound converted into a potent antioxidant known as sulforaphane at digestion time. Sulforaphane may offer multiple health benefits such as reduced cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, chronic disease, and oxidative stress.

• Broccoli also contains bioactive compounds, which may contribute to the reduction of inflammation in the body tissues.

Avocados: Some people consider avocados a fruit, and some consider them a vegetable. They are a concentrated source of fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.

• Avocados are very rich in vitamin B6. A half avocado provides almost 30 % of the daily needs of vitamin B6.

Blue and Purple:

Blueberries: These are sweet berries with many nutritional advantages. They are about 85 % water and contain only approximately 84 calories in a full bowl.

• Blueberries are known to have one of the highest amounts of antioxidants among all the commonly available fruits and vegetables. The main antioxidant found in blueberries is flavonoids.

• Blueberries reduce DNA damage to the body and prevent aging. DNA damage is an unavoidable part of our everyday life and the main cause of aging.

Red or Purple Cabbage: Purple cabbage tastes similar to green cabbage but has more nutritional benefits, such as stronger bones and a healthier heart. It can be eaten both raw and cooked.

• Purple cabbage contains antioxidants such as carotenoids, flavonoids, and vitamin C. It is also a good source of sulforaphane.

• Purple or red cabbage helps to fight inflammation in the body.

Conclusion

It is important to eat fruits and vegetables for a healthy living and fit body. The colorful fruits and vegetables contain many nutritional components such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which help to boost immunity and fight inflammation and diseases.