The various colors of fruits and vegetables speak to the nutritional properties each one possesses. That’s why it’s crucial to have a variety of colors in your diet, ensuring you receive a wide range of nutrients for complete nutrition.
Purple is a must-have color on your weekly menu palette, as fruits and vegetables displaying this color offer significant health benefits due to their antioxidant effect, which delays the onset of aging signs like memory loss.
The Benefits of Including Purple Fruits and Vegetables in a Healthy Diet
Foods from the garden that sport a purple color share a common pigmentation produced by flavonoids called anthocyanins, which are the primary contributors to the benefits that purple fruits and vegetables provide.
Flavonoids are essential for the body but cannot be produced independently. They must be obtained through the consumption of foods containing anthocyanins for the proper functioning of the body, directly affecting the cardiovascular system and the digestive system. Therefore, they help prevent issues like cholesterol, hypertension, or constipation. Most importantly, they have a potent antioxidant power.
Purple Fruits and Vegetables Rich in Anthocyanins
To achieve healthy levels of these flavonoids in our bodies, some purple fruits and vegetables can help us. Among fruits, blueberries, in addition to anthocyanins, are rich in vitamin C and K, fiber, and manganese.
These nutritional qualities reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or senile dementia. Purple plums have the highest antioxidant properties but should be consumed with the skin to reap these benefits.
In the vegetable category, we choose eggplant, beetroot, and red cabbage,
This three kind of vegetable are particularly rich in this flavonoid. Eggplant is recommended not only for its antioxidant power mainly found in the vegetable’s skin but also for its fiber, iron, magnesium, and folic acid content. It also provides a high dose of vitamin B9, crucial in the early months of pregnancy, and helps control blood sugar levels.
Speaking of beets, this tuber acts against the signs of aging at the neuronal level, as it interferes with bacteria that harm the brain and thus reduces the chances of developing problems like Alzheimer.
Finally, red cabbage is another vegetable you should start incorporating into your weekly menu. It works well in salads for light dinners, is rich in fiber, promoting intestinal transit. Its high anthocyanin content—purple is dominant in red cabbage—helps prevent coronary diseases and has remarkable antioxidant effects on the body.