Power of colour BLUE/PURPLE on your plate
Oh, the lovely hue of blue and purple coloured fruits and vegetables! Ya, really, it brightens up the plate. Blue and purple coloured fruits and vegetables have a deep colour tinge and are very pleasing to the eye. So, today’s powerful colour on your plates is Blue and Purple.
The reason I am using these 2 colours together is that they have similar benefits. The antioxidant anthocyanin gives blue/purple fruits and vegetables their distinctive colour. Anthocyanin is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage and can help reduce the risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease. The other phytochemicals and nutrients in blue/purple coloured fruits and vegetables are lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, vitamin C, fibre, ellagic acid and quercetin. The darker the colour pigment, the higher the concentration of antioxidants.
Commonly found blue/purple coloured fruits and vegetables are eggplants, purple yam, purple cabbage, blackberries, dried plums, black grapes, purple jamun and plums.
These blue/purple fruits and vegetables have the following benefits:
- Blue/purple fruits and vegetables help fight inflammation.
- Vegetables like eggplant are very low in calories and high in fibre. They aid in weight loss and also help in diabetes management.
- Blue/purple fruits and vegetables improve heart health.
- The antioxidants in them boost your immunity.
- They help in managing cholesterol by having a favourable effect on HDL.
- The antioxidants act as anti-carcinogenic and help prevent cancers.
- They protect your body from free radical damage.
- 100 gm of plums provide 157 mg of potassium, a mineral that helps manage blood pressure. This helps in preventing stroke.
- Prunes are dried plums. This dry fruit is often neglected but is a powerhouse of nutrients.
- Prunes help in relieving constipation as they have a laxative effect.
- Prunes are a very rich source of vitamin K which is essential for blood clotting.
- Purple yam is another vegetable which is very rich in fibre and has no fat or cholesterol.
- Blue and purple fruits and vegetables improve calcium absorption.
- They support retinal health.
I am sure these reasons are enough for you to reach out for blue and purple fruits and vegetables more often. But don’t forget that the nutrients are concentrated majorly under the skin. So don’t throw away the skin.
Stay Healthy, Stay Happy 🙂
