Embrace Colorful Foods for Better Health: The Benefits of Eating the Rainbow

1. Why Eat the Rainbow? Catherine M. Champagne, PhD, RD Nutritional Epidemiology/Dietary Assessment & Counseling Pennington Biomedical Research Center

2. Why worry about color? • Think health – think color • The richer the color in foods the more potent natural chemicals they contain.

3. Think Health! Think Color!!!

4. Eat Colorful Foods!!!! • They contain phytochemicals • The term is generally used to refer to those chemicals that may affect health, but are not yet established as essential nutrients. • Abundant scientific and government support for recommending diets rich in fruits and vegetables. • Only limited evidence that health benefits are due to specific phytochemicals. • Therefore, eat the rainbow!!!

5. Phytochemicals • Phenols and cyclic compounds • Isothiocyanates and indoles • Resveratrol • Sulforaphane • Zeaxanthin • Ellagic acid • Allicin • Carotenoids • Flavonoids • Lignans • Lutein • Lycopene • Anthocyanins

6. What can phytochemicals do? • Function as antioxidants • Enhance your immune response • May alter estrogen metabolism • Cause cancer cells to die (apoptosis) • Repair DNA damage caused by toxic compounds • Detoxify carcinogens

7. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) • A method of measuring antioxidant capacities in biological samples • A wide variety of foods have been tested using this methodology, with certain spices, berries, and legumes rated very highly • High antioxidants from a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables is believed to play a role in the free-radical theory of aging (aging better!!)

8. USDA data on foods with high ORAC scores *measured as Trolox Equivalents

9. USDA data on foods with high ORAC scores *measured as Trolox Equivalents

10. Something else to note • With nearly all vegetables, conventional boiling reduces the ORAC value significantly, while steaming retains more of the antioxidants. • So, it is clear that you will get less impact with dried or raw beans following cooking (my guess is about 90% less).

11. Importance of eating peelings • Ever heard this saying? • Peppy Pearly eats peelings, Droopy Delsey doesn’t • Check out the apple story next

12. ORAC Food Values *measured as Trolox Equivalents

13. A Word of Caution • The relationship between ORAC values and health benefits has not been established. • While this information is useful, remember that we need more scientifically controlled studies. • Beware of marketing that suggests their products are #1 in ORAC! • It is not known whether such values are accurate or how absorbable and functional these concentrated antioxidants are in the human body.

14. The Red Group • They add anthocyanins, betacyanins and lycopenes • Lycopene is a bright red carotene/carotenoid pigment found in tomatoes and other red fruits & vegetables (but not strawberries or cherries)

15. What about the REDS?? • Red in your diet will help maintain: • A healthy heart • Memory function • Urinary tract health (cranberries) • Lower risk of some cancers

16. Of the top 20 antioxidant fruits and vegetables, 7 are red: • Strawberries • Cranberries • Raspberries • Cherries • Red grapes • Beets • Red peppers

17. TheGroup Orange–Yellow • foods are a great source of carotenoids • Beta Carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid, which means it can be converted into Vitamin A. Orange–Yellow

18. in your diet will… Orange–Yellow • Help maintain: • A healthy heart • Night vision • Healthy immune system • Lower risk of cancer • Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables help prevent cataracts and protect the body from other types of damage from free radicals. orange–yellow

19. The Foods: Orange–Yellow • Vegetables • Carrots • Sweet potatoes • Yellow potatoes • Pumpkins • Squash • Corn • Yellow peppers • Fruits • Oranges • Tangerines • Grapefruit • Mangoes • Cantaloupe • Apricots • Bananas

20. The Green Group • Green foods are a great source of lutein and zeaxanthin • Lutein is actually a yellow-orange pigment, but is masked by the chlorophyll in green foods.

21. The Power of Green Foods • Antioxidants present in greenfruits and vegetables can: • Help prevent macular degeneration • Help prevent cataracts • Can lower risk of some cancers

22. The Green Group • Kiwi • Green grapes • Honeydew • Limes • Spinach • Green pepper • Broccoli • Romaine Lettuce Found in:

23. The Blue-Purple Group • Blue-Purplefoods are a great source of anthocyanins and resveratrol • Resveratrol is found in the skin of grapes and is present in purple grape juice and red wine.

24. The Blue-Purple Group may: • Protect against heart disease • Have anti-aging effects • Prevent urinary tract infections • Have anti-cancer properties

25. The Blue-Purple Group Found in: • Blueberries • Blackberries • Grapes • Plums • Purple Cabbage • Purple Onion • Eggplant • Purple peppers • Purple Endive

26. The Group White • foods are a great source of allicin, indoles, and allyl sulfides . • They can help maintain heart health and lower risk of some cancers. White

27. foods include: White • Onions • Garlic • Cauliflower • Apples • Plantains • Shallots

28. Summing it all up

29. For more information…….

30. Color Code’s Top 10 Vegetables: • Red • Tomatoes • Red bell peppers • Orange-Yellow • Carrots • Sweet potatoes • Winter squash • Green • Kale • Broccoli • Spinach • Blue-Purple • Purple cabbage • Eggplant

31. Color Code’s Top 10 Fruits: • Red • Strawberries • Raspberries • Orange-Yellow • Oranges • Mangoes • Grapefruit • Green • Kiwi • Avocado • Blue-Purple • Blueberries • Concord grapes • Dried plums

32. Consider Blueberries! • A USDA database reveals that blueberries contain more than a dozen vitamins and minerals in small amounts. • They pack fiber. • And they contain nearly 100 different phytochemicals!!! • Some data suggests blueberries help memory. • Is there more??????

33. MERCI BEAUCOUP