Color of Health
The hues that color your food do much more than make your plate look pretty. They deliver powerful phytochemicals and antioxidants that may be some of your body’s best allies in preventing cancer.
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, the deeper the color, the greater the health benefit. That limp iceberg salad may offer some crunch, but it doesn’t compare to the cancer-fighting advantages of bluish-purple blueberries, rich green kale, or the earthy crimson of beets. The colors that imbue these foods and so many others are indicators of high levels of phytochemicals that are vital to good health.
But to really appreciate the nutritional benefits of phytochemicals, you need to understand the science: Plants create phytochemicals to protect themselves from the damage caused by pests and UV radiation, as well as from their own photosynthesis. This damage is similar to that done to our own bodies by free radicals—a by-product generated through the essential interaction of oxygen with our cells. Because this damage is caused by reactions with oxygen (picture what happens to a sliced apple after the air gets to it for a while), the phytochemicals in plants that protect us from free radicals are called antioxidants. Antioxidants are like a miniature anti-missile defense system, intercepting and harmlessly reacting with free radicals before they can do us harm. But because their efficacy is short-lived, it’s important to eat a steady diet of fruits and vegetables; in fact, eating several different kinds at the same time, such as in a salad, creates a synergy that enhances the antioxidant benefit. In addition to their anti-cancer properties, antioxidants have been shown to keep the immune system healthy, support healthy blood sugar levels, guard against aging, and keep the brain functioning optimally.
To up your antioxidant intake, consider these tips.
- Keep fresh herbs on hand or grow them yourself and use wherever possible.
- Season your foods with dried herbs and spices. Even a small teaspoon of flavor adds nutritional benefits.
- If you don’t have fresh fruits and vegetables, consider them in other forms: dried, frozen, juiced, or in jams—it all adds up.
- Some antioxidants (like the lycopene found in tomatoes and the beta carotene in carrots and winter squash) actually increase in potency when cooked for extended periods of time.
- As long as it’s edible, don’t forget to eat the peels of organic fruit; they often contain high quantities of antioxidants.
- Ripe fruits—berries, in particular—contain higher quantities of antioxidants than fruits that are not ripe.
- Use honey as a sweetener. Studies have shown that people who eat honey on a daily basis have increased levels of antioxidants in the body; darker varieties, like buckwheat honey, contain the most antioxidants.
- Drink herbal tea. Warm or iced, herbal teas are a pleasurable way to add to your daily antioxidant intake. At restaurants, order the most colorful plate possible. Here is your chance to taste and see how an expert mixes colors and flavors. Then use these ideas for examples in your own home.
Not sure where to begin? All of these foods offer impressive antioxidant levels.
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Fruits berries, cherries, pomegranates, plums, grapes, apples, mangos, figs, persimmons, beets, citrus fruits (including the peel) |
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Vegetables tomatoes, winter squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, eggplant, onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, kale, collards, mushrooms |
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Beans and Legumes black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, black lentils |
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Grains blue corn, purple rice, red quinoa |
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Unrefined Oils olive oil, red palm oil, sesame oil |
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Herbs and Spices turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, rosemary, oregano, thyme, mint, cardamom, chili |
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Nuts walnuts, pecans, chestnuts |
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Other sources lemon balm, hibiscus, wine vinegars, honey, herbal and green tea, wine, chocolate, wild salmon |
October 2009
