Beautiful colors emerging





Red radishes



Red and white onions





Purple cabbage



So far, I have been in awe of the beautiful shades of green within our garden, but now there are a variety of beautiful colors emerging. There are red radishes, purple onions, and purple cabbage.



From science classes, I know that the green chlorophyll in the leaves helps capture the sun's energy and convert it to food for the plant. However, I don't remember learning what the purpose of plants having other color pigmentations.

After researching, I found that colors in flowers, fruits, and vegetables can help with pollination and reproduction. Colorful fruits and veggies can attract animals that spread the plant's seeds. The colors come from the various vitamins, minerals, and natural substances that make up each fruit or veggie. Due to the unique combination of vitamins and minerals, each color category of fruits and vegetables has unique health benefits for the consumer.

Red Fruits and Vegetables Contain nutrients such as lycopene, ellagic acid, Quercetin, and Hesperidin, to name a few. These nutrients reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lower blood pressure, reduce tumor growth and LDL cholesterol levels, scavenge harmful free-radicals, and support join tissue in arthritis cases.

 

Orange and Yellow fruits and vegetables Contain beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and vitamin C. These nutrients reduce age-related macula degeneration and the risk of prostate cancer, lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, promote collagen formation and healthy joints, fight harmful free radicals, encourage alkaline balance, and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones.

 



Green vegetables and Fruit Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, fiber, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, folate, vitamin C, calcium, and Beta-carotene. The nutrients found in these vegetables reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels, normalize digestion time, support retinal health and vision, fight harmful free-radicals, and boost immune system activity.

 

Blue and purple fruits and vegetables Contain nutrients which include lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, vitamin C, fiber, flavonoids, ellagic acid, and quercetin. Similar to the previous nutrients, these nutrients support retinal health, lower LDL cholesterol, boost immune system activity, support healthy digestion, improve calcium and other mineral absorption, fight inflammation, reduce tumor growth, act as an anticarcinogens in the digestive tract, and limit the activity of cancer cells.



White fruits and vegetables Contain nutrients such as beta-glucans, EGCG, SDG, and lignans that 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, reducing the risk of hormone-related cancers.

 

Read more about the health benefits of fruits and veggies at: http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/fruits-vegetables.shtml#ixzz1Lmgptv2l