An apple a day keeps the doctor away, well okay, that might not be entirely true, but it can help. Fruits are a very healthy and natural food that is packed with beneficial vitamins, enzymes, fiber, and other essential nutrients that we can”t get from processed foods or supplements.
We all knew that, right? Sure we did, but did you know that eating a variety of fruits by color can ensure that you are getting a variety of the vital nutrients that your body needs for optimal health and nutrition? It”s true; the colors of fruits and vegetables can tell you what is in them. There are essentially five basic colors of fruits and each color contains different types of nutrients and other goodies.
For instance, red fruits such as apples and strawberries contain high levels of nutrients like lycopene, ellagic acid, Quercetin, and Hesperidin which are beneficial in the control or prevention of some ailments like prostate cancer, blood pressure, reducing tumor growth and LDL cholesterol levels, and are also beneficial for the control of harmful free-radicals, and helps joints in arthritis sufferers.
Orange and yellow fruits like bananas and oranges, tangerines and squash, (I know, squash is a vegetable) are high in nutrients like beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and vitamin C.
These nutrients are believed to be beneficial in the reduction of age-related macular degeneration, lowering the risk of prostate cancer, lowering LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, promotion of collagen formation and promoting healthy joints, fighting harmful free radicals, encouraging alkaline balance, and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones.
Green vegetables and fruits are known to contain high levels of chlorophyll, fiber, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, folate, vitamin C, calcium, and Beta-carotene. These nutrients have been found to reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels, aid digestion, support retinal health and vision, fight harmful free-radicals, and boost immune system activity.
Purple and blue fruits and vegetables (think blueberries and eggplant) have been found to contain nutrients like lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, vitamin C, fiber, flavonoids, ellagic acid, and quercetin. These nutrients support retinal health, lower LDL cholesterol, supports a healthy immune system and a healthy digestion, improves calcium and other mineral absorption, reduces inflammation, reduces tumor growth, and acts as an anticarcinogen in the digestive tract, and also limits the activity of cancer cells.
White fruits and vegetables like pears and cauliflower contain nutrients like as beta-glucans, EGCG, SDG; these nutrients provide powerful immune boosting activity. These nutrients also activate natural killer B and T cells, reduce the risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers, and balance hormone levels, which reduces the risk of hormone-related cancers.
Eating as much of, and in as much variety as possible of fruits and vegetables, will allow you to reap the maximum benefits to give your body the vital nutrients it needs to thrive and be healthy. Supplements can be okay, but nothing beats the real thing. So next time you are at the grocery stock up and eat healthy.
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