Why eat the Rainbow? - Botanical Research Center
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Transcript Why eat the Rainbow? - Botanical Research Center
Why Eat the
Rainbow?
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
Phenols and
cyclic compounds
Isothiocyanates
and indoles
Flavonoids
Lignans
Resveratrol
Lutein
Sulforaphane
Lycopene
Zeaxanthin
Anthocyanins
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
colorful 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
Food
Serving size
Small Red Bean
½ cup dried beans
13727
Wild blueberries
1 cup
13427
Red kidney bean
½ cup dried beans
13259
Pinto bean
½ cup
11864
Blueberries,
cultivated
1 cup
9019
Cranberries
1 cup
8983
Artichoke hearts
1 cup, cooked
7904
Blackberries,
cultivated
1 cup
7701
Prunes
½ cup
7291
Raspberries
1 cup
6058
*measured as Trolox Equivalents
Antioxidant content
USDA data on foods with high
ORAC scores
Food
Serving size
Strawberries
1 cup
5938
Red Delicious apple
1 apple
5900
Granny Smith apple
1 apple
5381
Pecans
1 oz
5095
Sweet cherry
1 cup
4873
Black plum
1 plum
4844
Russet potato
1, cooked
4649
Black beans
½ cup dried beans
4181
Plum
1 plum
4118
Gala apple
1 apple
3903
*measured as Trolox Equivalents
Antioxidant content
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
Apples, Red Delicious, raw,
without skin
1 medium
4727
Apples, Golden Delicious, raw,
with skin
1 medium
4859
Apples, Golden Delicious, raw,
without skin
1 medium
3558
*measured as Trolox Equivalents
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 red
carotene/carotenoid pigment found in
tomatoes and other 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
Vegetables
Carrots
Sweet potatoes
Yellow potatoes
Pumpkins
Squash
Corn
Yellow peppers
Foods:
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 fruits
and vegetables can:
Help prevent macular degeneration
Help prevent cataracts
Can lower risk of some cancers
The Green Group
Found in:
Kiwi
Spinach
Green grapes
Green pepper
Honeydew
Broccoli
Limes
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
Orange-Yellow
Green
◦ Kale
◦ Broccoli
◦ Spinach
◦ Carrots
Blue-Purple
◦ Sweet
◦ Purple cabbage
potatoes
◦ Eggplant
◦ Winter squash
Color Code’s Top 10 Fruits:
Red
◦ Strawberries
◦ Raspberries
Orange-
Yellow
◦ Oranges
◦ Mangoes
◦ 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??????