Check the Benefits of Purple Colored Fruits and Vegetables

Vegetables are a healthy food that should be consumed every day. The reason is none other than the fact that these food items contain many beneficial nutrients for the body's health. Vegetables come in various shapes and colors, some of which are green or even purple.

Several types of fruits and vegetables have a beautiful purple color, such as eggplant, grapes, sweet potatoes, and cabbage.

The purple color in these fruits and vegetables indicates a high content of antioxidants, which can help improve overall health and prevent diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

Benefits of Purple Colored Fruits and Vegetables 

According to researchers, the darker the color of the food, the higher its antioxidant level. It's not surprising, then, that purple-colored fruits like grapes, plums, and blackberries have exceptional healing and antioxidant properties. What are the contents of these purple fruits?

The purple pigments in fruits and vegetables contain flavonoids, including resveratrol, which can help lower blood pressure. Resveratrol can relax artery walls, reduce pressure in the arteries, and enable better blood circulation.

Furthermore, the purple hue in food items also indicates that they contain a variety of polyphenols, including anthocyanins. Studies show that anthocyanins are beneficial for brain health and act as antioxidants that combat cancer and heart disease.

Some of the Healthiest Purple Colored Vegetables and Fruits

1. Purple Spinach

Purple spinach, also known as red spinach, has nutritional content similar to green spinach. However, anthocyanins make purple spinach have higher antioxidant effects. Regular consumption contributes to maintaining the health of the heart, brain, and eyes.

2. Purple Cabbage

For salad lovers, purple cabbage is likely familiar. Anthocyanins, carotenoids, flavonoids, and vitamin C in purple cabbage act as antioxidants to repair and prevent damage to body cells. Purple cabbage also contains various nutrients that can support bone health.

3. Eggplant

Eggplants come in various colors, but the most well-known is the purple eggplant. In addition to anthocyanins, purple eggplant also contains nasunin compounds that act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents in the body. The high manganese content in eggplant helps maintain bone health and body metabolism.

4. Purple Carrot

Purple carrots are packed with various nutrients such as fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and manganese. Thanks to its nutritional and antioxidant content, purple carrots can aid in weight loss, strengthen antibodies, reduce the risk of heart disease, and prevent cancer cell growth.

5. Purple Corn

Have you ever tried purple corn? This beautifully colored vegetable is known to reduce the risk of obesity, body inflammation, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain types of cancer. Various benefits are attributed to natural compounds present in it, including anthocyanins, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, and quercetin. Research also indicates that purple corn can reduce insulin resistance.

6. Purple Cauliflower

Purple cauliflower can be a choice for purple-colored vegetables that protect the body from various types of cancers, including colorectal cancer. Purple cauliflower is also a good source of fiber, promoting intestinal health.

7. Blueberry

This purple-colored fruit is likely not unfamiliar to you. Blueberries are a source of vitamin C that protects cells and aids in iron absorption. In addition to vitamin C, blueberries also contain soluble fiber beneficial for digestion.

8. Pomegranate

With a reddish-purple color, pomegranate is rich in anthocyanins. Pomegranate is also a good source of fiber, providing vitamins A, C, and E, iron, and antioxidants such as tannins.

9. Beetroot

Beets get their purple color from plant chemicals called betalains. Like anthocyanins, betalains have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Beets are also a good source of vitamins and minerals, including folate, iron, manganese, nitrate, and potassium. The main benefit of beets is their potential to prevent dementia, as studies suggest that beet juice can improve blood flow to the brain.

10. Plum

Plums are a source of vitamin A and C that support your immune system. Dried plums, or prunes, are rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium.

Tips for Consuming Purple Colored Vegetables and Fruits

Vegetables and fruits can be essential ingredients in daily meals, providing numerous benefits to the body through the vitamins they contain. Here are tips for consuming purple-colored vegetables and fruits:

1. Start with Breakfast

You can begin by incorporating purple-colored vegetables and fruits into your breakfast menu, such as dried fruits for cereal or fresh fruits for smoothies.

2. Include Fruits and Vegetables in Snacks

Snacking is the best way to include fruits and vegetables in your daily intake. You can create small portions of salads containing lettuce, purple cabbage, and cherry tomatoes, then add your homemade dressing.

3. Eat a Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables

Besides being rich in essential vitamins, fruits and vegetables are packed with plant compounds. These compounds are found in specific color spectrums that are rich in powerful protective substances. For example, red-colored fruits and vegetables contain lycopene, which protects the skin from sun damage. Beta-carotene is found in orange-colored fruits and vegetables, benefiting skin health. Purple-colored fruits and vegetables contain anthocyanins, excellent protectors and anti-aging agents.

4. Experiment with Vegetables and Fruits

Vegetables and fruits can be diversified into delicious and healthy foods, such as making homemade noodles by adding vegetable juice to the noodle dough. Additionally, for fruits, you can mix them into your family's favorite cake or brownie batter. They can also be used as natural colorants. Replace rice with crushed cauliflower or use it as pizza crust.

5. Have a Healthy Lunch and Dinner

Incorporate vegetables and fruits into your lunch and dinner menus, such as sautéed vegetables or zucchini spaghetti for lunch. Vegetable and fruit salads can be a healthy dinner alternative during a diet. (Nisa)