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??????