Colour Wheel of Natural Foods

Colour Wheel of Natural Foods


Nature provides us with an array of bright colours to stimulate our senses and encourage us to eat a variety of foods. Each colour is represented by a different nutrient, but they are all beneficial for our health, helping to keep us cancer free and at lower risk for heart disease and other ailments.

Red
Many of The red-hued foods such as tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit and papaya get their colour from the phytonutrient lycopene. Lypocene is believed to be responsible for the decreased risk of certain cancers  including prostate, ovarian, pancreatic, bladder, breast and stomach. Interestingly, cooking greatly increase the amount of lycopene that we absorb by breaking down the plant cell wall. So eating tomato based pasts sauces and soups is great for your health!

Yellow & Orange
Beta-carotene is responsible for the orange and yellow colour of many vegetables and fruits. Inside the body it converts to vitamin A which helps keeps the eyes, skin, bones and teeth healthy. It also may help to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease and boost the immune system. Alpha-carotene is also found in this colour group and it has been associated with lower risk of death from cancers of the organs, tissues of the respiratory tract and upper GI tract such as the mouth and esophagus. Careful though, eating too much of these fruits and veggies can cause your skin to go a bit yellow!(although it isn't harmful to your health!)

Green
Darker is better when it comes to choosing your greens because it means they have higher levels of carotenoids! Dark green vegetables are also rich in Vitamin K which helps blood clot properly and keep bones healthy and strong. Greens are also sources of vitamin C, vitamin E and other antioxidants which help inhibit age-related eyesight deterioration, reduce the risk of chronic disease and inhibit the spread of cancer cells.

Blue + Purple

Anthocyanins are the antioxidants responsible for the blue and purple spectrum of the fruit and vegetable world. Blueberries own the bragging rights for having almost four times the amount of cancer-fighting and inflammation reducing antioxidants than most fruit, and wildest blueberries have the highest levels of all with double that of regular blueberries.

White
Despite their neutral colour, white vegetables and fruits contain many phytonutrients, they are rich in fibre and sulforaphane a compound that protects the lining of the stomach by preventing bacterial overgrowth. Their phytonutrients also help reduce inflammation  which can play a role in ailments such as celiac disease, IBS and rheumatoid arthritis. White vegetables and fruits have also been found to reduce the risk of stroke by 52%!