Want More Antioxidants? Eat These 5 Colours For A Healthier Diet

Eating more whole foods like fruits and vegetables, instead of processed foods, is one of the simplest ways to promote healthy eating. Fruits and vegetables are not only rich and diverse in flavour, but they also carry protective powers, helping your body stay healthy and prevent diseases. Many fruits and vegetables get their colour from antioxidants. In fact, you can learn about different antioxidants and their health benefits by simply looking at the colour of the fruit or vegetable. Read on to find out more.

Here Are 5 Colours For Antioxidant-Rich Foods:

1. Green

The first colour to add to your diet is green - found in many types of green vegetables including leafy greens like kale, bok choy, spinach, and other vegetables like cucumber, peas, and avocado. According to the USDA, these healthy green foods are rich in phytonutrients like lutein, chlorophyll, and indoles, which help protect the eyes, boost immunity, increase energy, support hormone balance, build collagen, and detoxify your body.

2. Orange/Yellow

Think of mangoes, squash, carrots, and peppers! All these bright and beautiful yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are loaded with carotenes and xanthophylls. According to the book Healing Foods by DK Publishing, these phytonutrients have anticancer and heart-protective properties, protect the eyes and brain, and strengthen the immune system.

Also Read: Soya Beans Vs. Soya Chunks: Which One Has More Protein?

3. Red

Red is an attractive colour in fruits and vegetables like strawberries, cherries, tomatoes, cranberries, raspberries, apples, beets, red grapes, red peppers, red onions, and watermelon. According to Harvard Health, these foods contain antioxidants like lycopene and anthocyanins, which protect against heart disease, vision loss, neurodegenerative diseases, prostate cancer, and lung disease.

4. Blue/Purple

Another wonderful colour in natural foods is blue or purple. You can find it in blueberries, grapes, red wine, raisins, and eggplant. Rich in anthocyanins and resveratrol, including these foods in your daily diet supports healthy ageing, helps balance hormone levels, and fights free radicals, according to the US NIH.

5. White

White fruits and vegetables may lack bright colour but are still packed with phytonutrients. Many white-coloured foods such as garlic, bananas, onions, mushrooms, turnips, potatoes, and ginger are good sources of allyl sulfides and anthoxanthins. According to the book Healing Foods, consuming these foods can help boost immunity, and lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Add all these colourful foods to your plate and enjoy the wonderful benefits of antioxidant-rich foods.