HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE NATURAL COLOUR OF VEGETABLES:the beauty of eating healthy.

Purple Onion/justfoodup

One of the joy of eating is the beauty of plating, the presentation. This is what makes the restaurant selfie a killer picture. But what of the situation where you don't get to be happy about the bright colour of food, the illustration of food art. What of a situation where you get to be aware of the fact that the colour in your veggies is very beneficial to your health. The purple in onions, the orange in carrots, green in spinach and so on. Now that's the joy of eating you would say. Follow me as we embrace the nutritional benefits of the natural glowing colour of our fruits and vegetables.

Purple in Onions:  The purple colour in onions is caused by a pigment called flavonoid. These flavonoids are chemicals which act as antioxidants and antibiotics, protecting the body against cell damage, germs and inflammations. There are different varieties of onions but the purple onions contains more flavonoids than the other varieties. Also, research has shown that onions generally, may protect the body against gastric cancer and diabetes.

Orange in Carrots: A pigment called carotenoid is responsible for the orange colour in carrots. Carrots contains beta- carotenes which are then converted to vitamin A. Vitamin A promotes good visions and it's important in the proper development of the immune system. Carrot also helps to protect the body against the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer e.t.c.

Green in spinach: The average person in the kitchen knows that your spinach must be green when eating to get the best out of it. The green colour in spinach and other greens is caused by a pigment called chlorophyll. Spinach is high in iron, Vitamin K and Zinc which helps to combat hair loss, build strong bones and helps one sleeps better, respectively. So you might want to take note when blanching your spinach next time, not totally remove the chlorophyll. blanching for five minutes is enough.

Yellow and Red in bell peppers: Yellow bell peppers contains carotenoid pigments which is a source of Vitamin C. When served in right quantities, yellow or red bell peppers contains vitamins C, that is five times more than orange.  Vitamin C helps to repair body tissues and promotes wound healing.

Blue in Blueberries: The blue compound that makes blueberries blue is a powerful antioxidant called anthocyanin that may protect against cancer and heart disease, according to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Black in Black beans: The black pigmentation in beans, black or wild rice and lentils, contains antioxidants. Black rice contains 70percent more protein than their fairer counterpart.

So when next you are eating your salsa, salads and other food that contains lots veggies, do not forget health benefits involved.

NOTE: To get the best of your veggies, try stir frying instead of deep frying. Do not blanch your greens for more than five minutes. Steam your veggies instead of cooking for long in water.