Transcript Why eat the Rainbow? - Botanical Research Center
Why Eat the
R a i n b o w
?
Catherine M. Champagne, PhD, RD Nutritional Epidemiology/Dietary Assessment & Counseling Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Why worry about color?
Think health – think color The richer the color in foods the more potent natural chemicals they contain.
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!!!
Phytochemicals
Allicin
Carotenoids
Flavonoids
Lignans
Lutein
Lycopene
Anthocyanins
Phenols and cyclic compounds
Isothiocyanates and indoles
Resveratrol
Sulforaphane
Zeaxanthin
Ellagic acid
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
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 c o l o r f u l fruits and vegetables is believed to play a role in the free-radical theory of aging (aging better!!)
USDA data on foods with high ORAC scores Antioxidant content Food
Small Red Bean
Wild blueberries
Red kidney bean Pinto bean
Blueberries, cultivated
Cranberries Artichoke hearts Blackberries, cultivated Prunes Raspberries
Serving size
½ cup dried beans
1 cup
½ cup dried beans ½ cup
1 cup
1 cup 1 cup, cooked 1 cup ½ cup 1 cup 13727
13427
13259 11864
9019
8983 7904 7701 7291 6058
*measured as Trolox Equivalents
USDA data on foods with high ORAC scores Food
Strawberries Red Delicious apple Granny Smith apple Pecans Sweet cherry Black plum Russet potato Black beans Plum Gala apple
Serving size
1 cup 1 apple 1 apple 1 oz 1 cup 1 plum 1, cooked ½ cup dried beans 1 plum 1 apple
Antioxidant content
5938 5900 5381 5095 4873 4844 4649 4181 4118 3903
*measured as Trolox Equivalents
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).
Importance of eating peelings
Ever heard this saying?
Peppy Pearly eats peelings, Droopy Delsey doesn’t Check out the apple story next
ORAC Food Values
FOOD Serving size Antioxidant content* Apples, Red Delicious, raw, with skin 1 medium 7781 1 medium 4727 Apples, Red Delicious, raw, without skin Apples, Golden Delicious, raw, with skin Apples, Golden Delicious, raw, without skin *measured as Trolox Equivalents 1 medium 1 medium 4859 3558
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.
The
Red
Group
They add anthocyanins, betacyanins and lycopenes
Lycopene is a bright tomatoes and other red carotene/carotenoid pigment found in red fruits & vegetables (but not strawberries or cherries)
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
Of the top 20 antioxidant fruits and vegetables, 7 are red :
Strawberries
Cranberries
Raspberries
Cherries
Red grapes
Beets
Red peppers
The Group
foods are a great source of carotenoids
Beta Carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid, which means it can be converted into Vitamin A.
in your diet will…
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.
The Foods:
Vegetables
Carrots Sweet potatoes Yellow potatoes Pumpkins Squash Corn Yellow peppers
Fruits
Oranges Tangerines Grapefruit Mangoes Cantaloupe Apricots Bananas
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.
The Power of Green Foods
Antioxidants present in green and vegetables can: fruits
Help prevent macular degeneration
Help prevent cataracts
Can lower risk of some cancers
The Green Group
Found in:
Kiwi
Green grapes
Honeydew
Limes
Spinach
Green pepper
Broccoli
Romaine Lettuce
The Blue Purple Group
Blue Purple foods 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.
The Blue Purple Group may:
Protect against heart disease
Have anti-aging effects
Prevent urinary tract infections
Have anti-cancer properties
The Blue Purple Group
Found in:
Blueberries
Blackberries Grapes Plums Purple Cabbage
Purple Onion Eggplant Purple peppers Purple Endive
The Group
foods are a great source of allicin, indoles, and allyl sulfides .
They can help maintain heart health and lower risk of some cancers.
foods include:
Onions
Garlic
Cauliflower
Apples
Plantains
Shallots
Summing it all up
For more information…….
Color Code’s Top 10 Vegetables:
Red
◦
Tomatoes
◦
Red bell peppers
Green
◦
Kale
◦ ◦
Broccoli Spinach
Orange-Yellow
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Carrots
◦ ◦
Sweet potatoes Winter squash
Blue-Purple
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Purple cabbage
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Eggplant
Color Code’s Top 10 Fruits:
Red
◦
Strawberries
◦
Raspberries
Orange Yellow
◦
Oranges
◦
Mangoes
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Grapefruit
Green
◦
Kiwi
◦
Avocado
Blue-Purple
◦
Blueberries
◦ ◦
Concord grapes Dried plums
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??????