Benefits of fruits and vegetables according to their colors

Surely since you were a child you have heard more than once your mother, father, grandparents or even teachers tell you that you should eat more vegetables and fruits. These superfoods should never be lacking in your day to day, because they prevent diseases, give you a lot of energy and strengthen your body. You can know what are the benefits of fruits and vegetables according to their colors in the following article.

Nothing more beautiful than a colorful and striking dish. Red, green, yellow, purple … Did you know that the color of vegetables or fruits have to do with the nutrients they provide? And to be able to have in our organism all the phytonutrients that we need to feel healthy and even in a good mood, we must consume a cup of food of each color per day. It seems a lot, but in reality it is not. Pay attention to the tones of each vegetable and form a rainbow on your table.

Vegetables, fruits and colors: what you should know

Surely you have already read or heard that vegetables are good for your health. However, do not always consume the amount needed to keep you in excellent condition. The lack of “color” in your plate can be transformed into diseases, ranging from cholesterol to diabetes, through osteoporosis or cancer. 
Other pathologies or ailments related to chromatic monotony in foods are: colds, high blood pressure, obesity, heart or kidney failure , etc. 
If we count 100% of what we eat per day, to feel healthy and energetic we should eat:

• 31% green vegetables (spinach, Swiss chard, lettuce, broccoli, celery, asparagus, kiwi, avocado).
• 22% of fruits and vegetables of red color (tomato, strawberry, cherry, peach, apple, pepper).
• 21% of yellow and orange vegetables (lemon, carrot, orange, banana, melon, pear, grapefruit, pineapple, tangerine).
• 14% white vegetables (potato, onion, garlic, cabbage, leek).
• 12% of fruits and vegetables of blue or purple color (beet, cranberry, plum, cabbage, eggplant, fig, grape).

Each color, a property

While it is true that we must consume a cup of vegetables of each color per day, it is good to know what is provided by each of the chromatic groups in food:
Green

It is the color of the most amount of vegetables, because it is the tone of nature par excellence. In addition to being a relaxing color for our eyes and that contrasts sharply with what is displayed in the butcher shop (all red and beige), green is the freshest and healthiest there is. 
These vegetables are rich in lutein, a powerful antioxidant, as well as vitamins C and K, folic acid, magnesium, calcium, fiber and potassium. We already know why Popeye ate so many spinach. 
We can consume these green vegetables , both raw and cooked. In the latter case, it is advised that it be steamed so as not to eliminate its nutrients.

Its consumption is recommended at any age , but especially in the first years of life, for pregnant women, those who suffer from anemia or chronic fatigue. And as if that were not enough, they contain a good amount of chlorophyll (hence the green color), which has the same composition as blood, only it changes the tone.
Red

It is the second group of vegetables and fruits that we should consume. Although this color is associated with love and passion (and that is why strawberries or even apples resemble a heart, they say), it is also very good for our health. 
The bright and striking tone is due to a special component called beta carotene (which is also in orange vegetables) with excellent properties for our body.

The nutritional information of red foods indicates that they contain a good amount of vitamin C, lycopene (which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer), magnesium and phytochemicals that increase our defenses. Most of these vegetables are consumed in summer, although some, like strawberry, are grown in winter.
Orange
The vast majority of citrus fruits are of this color, which is related to youth, joy, vitality, good humor and vigor. Moving away from the food, it is worth mentioning that those who regularly use the color orange for their clothes or to paint the walls are more energetic and creative.

Returning to the food, this tone indicates the presence of a large amount of vitamin C , which prevents us from getting sick by germs, viruses and bacteria, as it strengthens the immune system.

Yellow

Also within the same previous group, where citrus fruits monopolize all the attention. Yellow is a very positive tone that reminds us of light, sun and joy.

White

It is not always a color related to health, because refined flours and sugars are of this hue that make us think of purity (although in reality they are very bad for health). However, in what has to do with vegetables, it is important to add them to our daily diet.

White foods are rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin C and several phytochemicals such as quercetin and allicin. Therefore, they prevent some types of cancer , digestive and cardiac diseases and balance cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Blue or purple
If you have noticed why it is at the end of the list, the reason is very simple: We need less quantity of these foods to add many quality nutrients to the body. These two colors are associated with night, wisdom and the third eye chakra, intuition and extrasensory perception.

Fruits and vegetables of blue or purple color are rich in phytochemicals with antioxidant action, which allow to decrease aging, the risk of suffering from certain types of cancer, neutralize and eliminate free radicals and improve health in the urinary tract.