Phytonutrients; Your Foods’ Rainbow of Healing Power and AntiOxidant Army
Posted by Vicki | Under Basic Nutritional Requirements, Whole Food Nutrition
Phytonutrients are powerful antioxidants that are indicated by the colors of fruit and vegetables. They work synergystically with one another as do vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
Tens of thousands of known phytonutrients have been studied so far, and more are explored every day. To get a good balance of phytonutrients, one should consume fruits and vegetables from the entire color spectrum.
The color categories of phytonutrients are red, red-purple (and blue), orange, orange-yellow, yellow-green, green, and white-green. Some phytonutrients are found in multiple categories.
Plant polyphenols, familiar by now to much of the population, is a large category of phytonutrients known to have significant antioxidant capabilities, and so in turn, limit inflammatory response. They have been studied for some time now for their role in protecting cells against cancerous conditions.
A familiar subgroup of polyphenols is flavanoids, which has been shown a powerful anti-oxidant as well, found in red, blue, purple, as well as white and green fruits and vegetables.
A recently hailed sub-category of flavanoids is anthocyanins, found in the red, blue and purple foods. Anthocyanins, may help reduce the risk of hear disease and stroke by inhibiting clot formation as part of its anti-inflammatory action.
Green / yellow foods such as kiwi, corn, spinach and avacado, contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which provide protection of the eyes, helping to fight cataracts and macular degeneration.
Green foods, such as broccoli and brussell sprouts, contain isothiocyanates, which aid in the production of liver enzymes, which help to fight cancer as well.
White foods such as garlic and onions also contain allicin, a tumor fighter.
Another well known category, cartenoids, are from the yellows and orange colored fruits and vegetables. There are over 600 cartenoids which have been identified, and are even more widely distributed in nature.
These pigments are fat soluble rather than water soluble. Cartenoids are also antioxidants, shielding cells from free radicals, especially highly reactive, unpaired oxygen atoms. One such cell protective anti-oxidant is beta cryptoxanthin.
Our bodies can make vitamin A from beta-carotene, a principal cartenoid in many fruits and vegetables (peaches, mangoes, sweet potatoes, and spinach).
Note that preformed vitamin A (retinol) should not be taken in supplements as it is necessary to be derived from the mixture of cartenoids necessary for the body uses to produce it, which include lutien and lycopene, also found in red colored fruits and vegetables.
Lutien is a cartenoid found in collard greens, kale, peas, spinach, and romaine lettuce, and is the main cartenoid in the human retina. Lycopene, responsible for the red in tomatoes, can also protect against malignant prostate cancer.
This is a list of foods in each color category to help you vary your diet to receive the full spectrum of phytonutritents:
| Red / Purple | Red | Orange | Yellow / Green | Green | White / Green |
| Acai berries Blackberries Blueberries Cherries Cranberries (or sauce) Eggplant Plum Prunes Purple or red grapes Raspberries Red apples Red cabbage Red pear Red pepper Red wine Strawberries |
Tomatoes Guava Pink grapefruit Watermelon |
Acorn squash Winter squash Apricot Cantaloupe Carrots Mango Pumpkin Sweet Potato |
Avocado Collard greens Corn Cucumbers (with skin) Green beans Green peas Green or yellow pepper Kiwi Mustard greens Romain or leaf lettuce (not iceberg!) Spinach Turnip greens Zucchini (with skin) |
Broccoli Brussel sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Chinese cabbage Kale Swiss chard |
Artichokes Asparagus Celery Chives Endive Leeks Garlic Onions |
So take a trip through the produce isle and shop for your rainbow!
[...] fruit and vegetables. Eat a variety of color so that you get as many of the tens of thousands of phytonutrients available. Secondly, eat more complex carbohydrates and less meat protein and saturated [...]
[...] For more on phytonutrients, see “Phytonutrients; Your Foods Rainbow of Healing Power and Antioxidant Army“. [...]
it makes it much easier to have the foods broken down into color categories. i’ll have to copy this chart and have in my kitchen. thank you
Great article and explanation of why it’s so important to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. It’s quite possible to get all our necessary nutrients from our food by eating a well rounded diet.
We talk a lot about eating the rainbow of fruits and vegetables at Feed Our Families.
One trip around the produce section of your local supermarket and you can collect a basket full of nutrients. I always love supporting organic for so many reasons, not the least of which is, no harmful pesticides, more nutrient-rich soil, and less chemicals in our water supply. I also wholeheartedly support organic and local farmers. Their philosophy will help us and the environment to stay healthy and sustainable.
Hi Janet!
You’re so right, I spend much of my time in the produce department, and also stock uo on nuts, legumes, and always buy organic in dairy and any chicken ( always wild caught fish, never farm raised ). But if one is not careful in the grocery stores, you can end up with a cart full of poison!
Thanks for stopping by, and taking the time to comment!
Wishing you Continued Healtrh,