The purple variety also contains two primary anthocyanins and has strong antioxidant scores. Concord grapes have thick deep purple skin and crunchy seeds that are rich in anthocyanins. They also contain manganese, vitamin K, potassium, certain B vitamins and vitamin C. Research shows that purple potatoes have two to four times the antioxidants of their white counterparts, Brooking says.
Eggplant is a low-calorie treat that has over a dozen kinds of antioxidants, registered dietician Cynthia Sass writes for Shape. She notes that in a study of animals, their cholesterol levels dropped after being fed eggplant juice. This juicy snack is a great source of vitamins A and C that support your immune system. Dried plums, or prunes, are full of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium, Sass writes. Learn about health discoveries, explore brain games and read great articles in the 'Your Health' Newsletter.
You are leaving AARP. Please return to AARP. Antioxidants combat free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals can cause direct damage to our cells, so you can see why counteracting them is potentially beneficial.
Antioxidants prevent the harmful effects of free radicals, and may work to protect our bodies against certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.
Increasing our intake of these foods is definitely beneficial to overall health. While these foods offer remarkable advantages, so do other colors of fruits and vegetables! Yes, you should eat more of them, but also more orange, red, yellow, green, and white plant-based foods. No single food is a superhero, coming to save your diet. Colorful foods pack a powerful nutritional punch.
Interested in growing some in your own garden? Check out this list of some of my favorite types of perfectly purple produce to get started. These earthy gems are full of betalains and are wonderful to grow yourself.
They are delicious roasted in the oven. Check out our sister site, Foodal for an easy recipe and find seeds to grow your own from Burpee. You can read more about how to grow beets here. Easy to enjoy as a yogurt or salad topper, in a pie, or on their own, these berries also make a quality potted plant!
Read more about growing blackberries at home you can check out our guide for tips to start your own berry patch at home. The purple pigment in all of these fruits and vegetables contain flavonoids, including resveratrol, which can help decrease blood pressure.
Resveratrol helps relax the arterial walls, decreases the pressure in the arteries and allows better circulation. Produce with purple hues contain a variety of polyphenols that can reduce the inflammatory response in the body. In my book Meals That Heal Inflammation , I outline how inflammation is at the root of all major diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and immune dysfunction.
Here are five reasons to eat more purple foods:. Purple foods kill cancer The resveratrol found in purple grapes, cranberries, blueberries, bilberries, and, of course, red wine and grape juice can inhibit the spread of colorectal cancer in animal studies. Other promising studies also show that resveratrol can induce cancer cell death in cases of prostate, breast, skin, liver, lung and blood cancers.
The curcumin in turmeric seems to boost its anti-cancer activity so have a glass of pinot noir the type of wine highest in resveratrol next time you have curry. Purple foods are ulcer-fighters A study found that anthocyanins from blackberries reduced stomach ulcer formation in rats. Researchers believe this is because the antioxidants in blackberries prevent oxidation and boost the activity of other important antioxidants, such as glutathione, that are naturally present in the body.
Flavonoids are a type of phytonutrient plant chemical which are responsible for the vivid colors in fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids are part of a larger classification known as polyphenols, which means it has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are important for us to eat because they reduce the amount of free radicals in the body, which are harmful because they can damage cells. The darker the pigment of blue, red or purple fruits and veggies, the higher the concentration of anthocyanins.
This means that blackberries contain more anthocyanins than raspberries, for example. Research has shown that consuming anthocyanin-rich food is associated with a significant reduction in cardiovascular disease CVD as well as a reduced risk of developing hypertension, aka high blood pressure. And good news for all wine lovers , researchers have found an association between the polyphenolic compounds found in red wine anthocyanins and decreased risk of death from CVD.
Though all these correlations have been researched, it is not entirely clear why these effects result from anthocyanin intake.
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