BENGALURU: Eating a diet with various colours is what is considered a ‘health-promoting and healing diet’.
A ‘Rainbow diet’ or a diet comprising various colours does not mean eating food which is artificially-coloured with colouring and flavouring agents. Rather, it promotes food containing natural colours such as red, orange/ yellow, green, blue/purple, and white.
These colours come about due to the presence of certain types of phytonutrients – the natural colourful compounds that are found in plants which not only provide essential vitamins and minerals but also help our cells to communicate with each other.
Some phytonutrients boast anti-inflammatory properties, others are potent antioxidants, anti-cancerous, anti-ageing. They also help boost immunity, and have many other health-promoting functions and healing effects.
When you have all the colours included in your diet, you don’t have to worry about the amino acids or fibres in the food since you get all of this in its natural state from the different coloured fruits and vegetables.
What you need to do is to eat at least one cup of each colour group every day. So, start exploring and adding new fruits and vegetables to your diet, while continuing to have the old ones in more healthy and tasty ways. Even having the same vegetable but in different colours, like purple cabbage and different-coloured bell peppers is beneficial.
Meanwhile, how you consume the vegetables is also important. A few of them are good when consumed raw, while a few others are better when cooked and others like carrots, celery, broccoli, peppers, and most of the green leafy vegetables and tomatoes are beneficial regardless of how they are consumed.
(The writer is chief medical officer, Prakriti Shakti - Clinic of Natural Medicine by CGH Earth)
Tan
Nutrients: Insoluble Fibre, Beta-Glutens
RDA: Beta-Glutens (3000-15000 mg)
Food Sources: Whole grains like oats, bran, barley, and rye are key sources
Functions: Insoluble fibre and beta-glutens are essential for a healthy digestive tract. They help in the prevention and management of coronary heart disease and various types of cancer. Also, these nutrients play a significant role in maintaining overall digestive health.
Systems Involved: Mainly affects the digestive system, but also has implications for the cardiovascular and endocrine systems
Red
Nutrients: Lycopene, Ellagic Acid, Quercetin, Hesperidin
RDA: Lycopene (8-21 mg), Quercetin (250 mg), Hesperidin (500 mg)
Food Sources: Includes tomatoes, watermelon, guava, berries, grapes, red onion, grapefruit & apricots
Functions: These foods are known for preventing heart-related diseases and various types of cancers (like prostate, breast, lung, bladder, ovaries, colon, and pancreas). They also improve mental function and help in reducing LDL cholesterol
Systems Involved: Affects the cardiovascular, excretory, and central nervous systems, along with the endocrine system
Orange & Yellow
Nutrients: Beta-Carotene, Zeaxanthine, Flavonoids, Potassium, Vitamin C
RDA: Beta-carotene (10-15 mg), Zeaxanthine (2 mg), Flavonoids (150-200 mg), Potassium (3500-4700 mg), Vitamin C (60-90 mg)
Food Sources: Carrots, sweet potatoes, dark leafy vegetables (kale, broccoli, parsley, coriander, spinach), squash, red and yellow pepper, apricots, peas, apples, berries, cherries, lemons, oranges, nuts
Functions: These nutrients have anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and anti-diarrheal functions
Systems Involved: Primarily impact the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, reproductive, and immunity systems
Green
Nutrients: Chlorophyll, Fibre, Zeaxanthine, Calcium, Folate, Vitamin C, Beta-Carotene
RDA: Chlorophyll (100-300 mg), Fibre (30 gm), Calcium (1000 mg), Folate (400 mcg), Vitamin C (60-90 mg), Beta-Carotene (15-180 mg)
Food Sources: Spinach, mustard greens, alfalfa, parsley, broccoli, green cabbage, asparagus, green peas and beans, seeds (poppy, sesame, celery, chia), beans and lentils, almonds, figs
Functions: These foods help in fighting cancer, reducing body odour, building blood, balancing hormones, managing osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, weight loss, preventing birth defects, haemolytic anaemia, pernicious anaemia
Systems Involved: They are beneficial for the endocrine, reproductive, & musculoskeletal systems
Blue
Nutrients: Zeaxanthine, Resveratrol, Vitamin C, Fibre, Flavonoids, Ellagic Acid, Quercetin
RDA: Zeaxanthine (2 mg), Resveratrol (2000 mg), Vitamin C (60-90 mg), Fibre (30 gm), Flavonoids (150-200 mg), Quercetin (250 mg)
Food Sources: Grapes, green leafy vegetables, melons, kiwi, red peppers, squash, peanuts, pistachios, cacao
Functions: Useful for maintaining eye health, improving mental function, managing acne, cancer, fatty liver, rheumatoid arthritis, IBS, and atherosclerosis, and providing anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, anti-diarrheal benefits
White & Brown
Nutrients: Beta-Glutens, EGCG (Epigallocatechin), Ligans, Insoluble Fibre
RDA: Beta-Glutens (3000-15000 mg), EGCG (800 mg)
Food Sources: Barley, oats, whole grains, seaweed, algae, seeds, berries
Functions: These nutrients help in reducing LDL cholesterol, managing HIV, obesity, cancer, hypertension, IBS, and asthma, improving digestive health, reducing stress and inflammation, and increasing brain activity
Systems Involved: Impacts the endocrine, cardiovascular, and digestive systems