When
planting a vegetable garden, let color be your guide to healthy eating. For a number of years, scientists have been
discovering the health benefits of the color pigments in food. For some gardeners, a vegetable garden is
lettuce, collard, mustard greens and kale- all healthy, leafy green
vegetables. But for health sake, add
some color such as red tomatoes, yellow squash and purple eggplant. Grow a rainbow of colors to the garden for
good health.
Red
colored fruits and vegetables contain natural plant pigments called lycopenes or
anthocyanins. These compounds may help reduce the risk of several types of
cancer, especially prostate cancer. By the way, the lycopenes in cooked
tomatoes with a small amount of fat are absorbed better than lycopene from raw
tomatoes. Sun dried tomatoes are
reported to have twelve times the lycopenes as raw ones. So plant plenty of
tomatoes, beets, watermelon and red peppers. If there is room in the garden,
include a pigmented citrus tree like pink grapefruit.
Orange
and yellow colors
come from natural plant pigments called carotenoids. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A which
helps maintain healthy eyes.
Carotenoid-rich foods can reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and
improve the immune system function.
Plant plenty of yellow sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkins and
carrots. Citrus contains hesperidin, also
found in the skin of tomatoes, and naringenin, which are anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant. Curcumin, found in turmeric, known in Hawaiian as olena, has antioxidant properties.
Turmeric is a popular Indian spice used in curries and other dishes. Anecdotal evidence suggests that turmeric can
be used to deter ants in the garden.
Other yellow
and orange fruits grown in Hawai`i are pineapples, papayas and mangos.
Pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme which aids digestion. Papaya and tangerines contain
beta-cryptoxanthin, another carotenoid, playing an important role in vision and
in bone growth. Papayas can easily be grown from seeds or purchased in abundance
at local markets.
Greens are colored by a natural plant pigment called
chlorophyll. Some greens contain lutein
which helps keep eyes healthy. Here is a familiar list of green vegetables: green
peppers, peas, parsley, watercress, arugula, spinach and kale. Crucifers like broccoli and cabbage contain
chemicals which may help protect against some types of cancer. Leafy greens such as spinach and broccoli are
excellent sources of folate, which is a B vitamin.
The blue
and purple colored
fruits and vegetables also contain pigments called anthocyanins, powerful
anti-oxidants which improve brain function and help to reduce the risk of
cancer, stroke and heart disease. Fig
trees grow well in tropical and sub-tropical climates and should yield
delicious, healthy fruit. Anthocyanins,
also found in strawberries and raspberries, act as powerful antioxidants that
protect cells from damage.
The
whites contain
pigments called anthoxanthins which are shades of white or yellow. This group consists of onions, garlic,
cauliflower, turnips, mushrooms, potatoes and bananas. At least one of the group, garlic, contains a
health-promoting chemical called allicin. This compound may help lower
cholesterol and blood pressure and help reduce the risk of stomach cancer and
heart disease. Potatoes, as well as bananas, are good sources of
potassium.
