Monday 28 November 2022 07:44 PM Why you SHOULD 'eat a rainbow' of fruit and vegetables each day trends now
You'd be forgiven for assuming the old saying 'eat the rainbow' was just another baseless piece of advice to encourage people to consume more fruit in veg.
But colors are extremely important when it comes to our health and whether it's a bright red apple or a earthy green pear, the color of natural foods is a sign of the nutrients they contain.
Red apples, peppers and tomatoes are high in lycopene — which gives them their dark red color — helps protect against cancers and arthritis.
Blueberries, blackberries and eggplants are stuffed with anthocyanins, tannins and other compounds that previous research has suggested improve memory, while leafy greens and avocados contain plenty of nitrates that studies show lower the risk of heart disease.
Dr Evangeline Mantzioris, a nutritionists at the University of South Australia, says there are at least 5,000 nutrients in different fruits and vegetables. She recommends ensuring a multi-colored diet to 'maximise health benefits'.
Guidelines say everyone should get at least five portions of fruits and vegetables a day, of varying colors to ensure the best nutrition benefits.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 87 per cent of Americans are not getting enough fruit and vegetables every day in their diet.
RED: Protects against cancer and arthritis
Apples, strawberries, cherries and tomatoes can reduce your risk of suffering cancer and arthritis, major studies suggest.
They are top sources of carotenoids including astaxanthin and lycopene, which reduce the numbers of dangerous 'free radicals' in the body.
Free radicals are molecules produced in cells naturally through breathing and moving, but may also appear due to exposure to too much sunlight, smoking, air-pollution and industrial chemicals.
They can cause damage to the lining of cells, proteins and DNA raising the risk of a whole host of diseases including cancer and arthritis.
But anti-oxidants — such as lycopene — work by hoovering up these molecules shortly after they are made, reducing the risk of damage to cells.
Red fruits and vegetables are top sources of lycopene, studies show.
A systematic review from 2020, found that the substance reduced the risk of prostate cancer by suppressing these mutations. Another review — also from 2020 — also found it could protect against other cancers including those of the breasts, lung and stomach.
Red-colored foods also contain vitamin C, which can cut inflammation levels helping to alleviate arthritis symptoms.
Many small-scale studies have already linked eating strawberries with improved control of arthritis.
They include a 2017 paper which found that eating 50 grams of strawberries a day for 12 weeks reduced inflammation and symptoms of osteoarthritis in participants.
ORANGE: Boosts fertility
They share similar properties to their red counterparts.
But a growing body of evidence also suggests orange fruits and vegetables boost fertility.
Carotenoids — such as beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin — which give the fruits their color are antioxidants that when consumed are distributed in fat tissues throughout the body as well as the ovaries and testes.
They work by hoovering up free radicals in these areas, reducing the risk of serious disease and boosting the function of the organs.
A 2018 major study involving 70,000 women found those who ate more citrus fruit had a 22 per cent lower risk of endometriosis. This is a condition where growths form around the uterus, harming chances of conceiving.
A 2020 meta-analysis on 440,000 women also suggested a fertility benefit, concluding those who ate more orange fruits and vegetables were significantly less likely to get ovarian cancer than
