Eat the rainbow

How consuming foods of various colours helps maintain good health and check diseases

- VAISHALI DAR

Red, green and yellow are not just colours of the rainbow, but nature's way of adding nutrition to your diet. The diet enriched with these colours is an important source of phytonutrients, which means all the natural compounds found in plant foods such as vegetables, fruit, whole grain products and legumes.

The word 'phytonutrients' comes from 'phyto', meaning plant. Thus, the importance of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables of various hues has often been advised by experts and professionals. And to 'eat the rainbow' can actually benefit health and have potent anti-cancer and anti-heart disease properties.

Consuming colours

Consuming colourful foods gives more nutrition and phytonutrients to the body, says Vijayashree, chief dietician, MGM Healthcare, Chennai.

"This isn't just preparing a beautiful plate; each colour signifies different nutrients our body needs. The natural foods we consume are red, orange, yellow, purple, blue, green and brown in colour.

Including these colourful foods in the diet can improve vision, decrease inflammation, reduce the risk of chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes and also can strengthen our immune system. These health benefits are due to the phytochemicals that occur naturally within these foods," she says.

In a recently held ASSOCHAM webinar on fibre consumption for good gut health bacteria, health experts suggest how nutrition has a significant impact on all bodily functions and health.