Power of colour WHITE on your plate

February 16, 2017Sarika Nair Healthy eating

Hi friends, I am sure you all are doing great!.Come on, Valentine’s day was just a couple of days back….so you all must have had a blast, right?? To those who found love, great!! Now work hard at keeping it 😉 And to those who did not, there is another day. And for those who don’t care, are happy being their own Valentine! Lovely!!

Continuing my series of benefits of different coloured fruits and vegetables, today we shall see the benefits of White coloured fruits and vegetables. Yes, WHITE…it is also a colour and has lots of benefits on your plate. We are always told to eat a rainbow and when we try to do that we often ignore the white/pale colour. But as white enhances our wardrobe, it works wonders on our plate too.

White fruits and vegetables derive their colour from the phytochemicals called anthoxanthins. They also contain allicin, sulphur and quercetin. These phytochemicals provide the following benefits:

Anthoxanthins are a type of flavonoid pigments in plants which range in colour from white to colourless to creamy. Anthoxanthins are shown to reduce stroke risk, promote heart health and reduce inflammation.
Allicin is an antibacterial phytochemical. It is a natural antibiotic and boosts immunity. Allicin helps in reducing LDL (bad cholesterol) and increasing HDL (good cholesterol) thus promoting heart health. Garlic is the best source of allicin.
Sulphur is found in all body tissues and plays several important roles in the body. Sulphur is essential in for proper development of connective tissue and helps the skin maintain structural integrity. Sulphur deficiency results in dry skin, skin disorders and wrinkles. Sulphur is also associated with fighting cancer. Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower are rich in sulphur.
Quercetin enhances the effectiveness of anthoxanthin. Quercetin has also proven to reduce allergies by blocking the release of histamines.

These phytochemicals together make white coloured fruits and vegetables a storehouse of nutrients. The common white fruits and vegetables are cauliflower, mushroom, garlic, ginger, banana, onions and turnips.

Cauliflower

This white floret belongs to the cruciferous family and contains sulphur compounds. Sulphur is known to fight cancer and maintain healthy blood vessels. Swap your mashed potato with mashed cauliflower. It is tasty and healthy. It gives you the required fibre along with vitamin C, potassium and vitamin B 6.

Garlic

Garlic is a staple in many households and cuisines. Garlic is the ingredient that adds zing to my stir fried veggies and makes it literally yummy! These bulbs are extremely nutritious. Garlic is rich in allicin which makes it antibacterial and antifungal. Garlic boosts immunity, protects the heart, helps manage hypertension and is good for your hair and skin. Apart from antioxidants, garlic is rich in vitamin B6, manganese, magnesium, iron, potassium and calcium.

Mushroom

Mushrooms are not vegetables but edible fungi. The list of benefits of mushrooms is long. They are rich in water and low in calories. They are fat-free, cholesterol free and gluten free. Mushrooms provide us with lean protein and hence help us in managing cholesterol. Due to their low-calorie content, mushrooms are ideal for diabetic people. Mushrooms are rich in potassium which acts as a vasodilator, relaxing tension in blood vessels, therefore reducing blood pressure. Mushrooms are also rich in selenium which is a powerful antioxidant. So many reasons to eat mushrooms!

Banana

An instant energy booster, bananas are the most common fruit in the world. Bananas are easily available, very economical and delicious. Bananas are extremely rich in potassium. 100 gm of banana provides a whopping 358 mg of potassium. Potassium is a vasodilator and helps in managing blood pressure. Potassium is also an important mineral for sports performance. Potassium works with sodium to balance the electrolytes in our body. This provides hydration and prevents muscle cramping. Bananas have two types of fibre- pectin and resistant starch. These help to improve digestion. Bananas also have the antioxidant dopamine and catechins which offer several health benefits.With so many benefits, this white fruit surely must be our go-to fruit. It is easy to buy and consume too!

These benefits should definitely urge us to reach out for the white coloured fruits and vegetables.

Stay healthy, stay happy 🙂