When dealing with foods, what color attracts you most? Did you know that the different colors of your food do have health significance? We use our different senses to stimulate our appetite. Among these is our sense of sight. Color is very important in choosing what we plan to eat. The color of food is a natural system of plants that attracts the attention of predators, so that they can consume the edible parts of the plants to spread their seeds and reproduce species.
The color of the food depends on its composition. Purple foods are rich sources of anthocyanins. The green color indicates the presence of carotenoids while the red one indicates pigment of lycopene. These plant substances help to improve the circulatory system that benefits the functions of the liver, protects our vision, and stimulates immunity.
These are the following colors of food with their meanings and health benefits:
Red: Lycopene creates the red pigment in foods like peppers, tomatoes, and watermelon. Lycopene has been shown to reduce prostate and pancreatic cancers. Other recent research has shown preliminary links between lycopene and cardiovascular health because it keeps bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein (LDL)) from hardening your arteries. Tomatoes are widely known as one of the best food sources of lycopene and cooked tomatoes like marinara sauce which can make the lycopene content easier for our bodies to absorb.
Orange and Yellow: The orange and yellow pigments found in fresh foods are signs that beta-cryptoxanthin is present in it. Beta-cryptoxanthin plays an important role in the communication process between cells. It prevents oxidative damage from impacting tissues and organs. It is also crucial in the formation of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for proper growth and development and it can keep our eyesight healthy. Beta-cryptoxanthin can be found also in carrots, tangerines, sweet potatoes, and cantaloupe.
Green: Green fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals that are essential for our health. Green vegetables such as spinach contains high amount of folic acid. Folic acid is important to the development of neural tubes during pregnancy. Green fruits and vegetables also contain Vitamin K and potassium which can help to maintain the normal blood pressure. It also plays a role in blood clot formations.
Purples and Blues: Eggplant, red wine, and strawberries are rich in purple, blue, or scarlet coloring which contain high levels of anthocyanin. Researchers agree that eating more of these fruits and vegetables can make us healthy. Blueberries promote heart health and may help to regulate blood pressure.
In choosing the right kind of foods, colors have significant role to help determine the nutrient contents that are essential to our health. Colors will tell us whether these foods are rich sources of vitamins and minerals. The next time you visit groceries and markets, buy these rainbow foods that can give important health benefits to you and your family.
NO I Ayesa Gay A. Bejerano, RND
The importance of color in food
https://www.botanical-online.com/en/food/importance-color-food
The Meaning Behind the Color of Your Food
https://fillyourplate.org/blog/the-meaning-behind-the-color-of-your-f
