In This ArticleView AllIn This Article1. Red Fruits and Vegetables2. Orange Fruits and Vegetables3. Yellow Fruits, Vegetables and Leafy Greens4. Green Fruits and Vegetables5. Blue, Deep Red & Purple Fruits and VegetablesThe Bottom Line
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
Red Fruits and Vegetables
Orange Fruits and Vegetables
Yellow Fruits, Vegetables and Leafy Greens
Green Fruits and Vegetables
Blue, Deep Red & Purple Fruits and Vegetables
The Bottom Line
The Mediterranean diet is well-known for its health benefits, and one of the most important components of this eating pattern is consuming a wide variety of fruits and vegetables—something most of us could benefit from. According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, 88% to 90% of Americans don’t eat the daily recommended servings of vegetables and fruits. Eating more fruits and vegetables canhelp reduce your risk for chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity and certain types of cancer. Fiber is one of the nutrients found in fruits and veggies that helps provide these benefits. According to a 2020 review inNutrients,fiber helps improve insulin sensitivity and reduces the risk of heart disease, colorectal cancer and mortality.
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Red plant foods like tomatoes and watermelon contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help protect against prostate and breast cancers. Lycopene not only has anticancer benefits but also helps reduce inflammation and the risk of diabetes, among other benefits, according to 2020 research inAntioxidants. Some delicious red fruits and veggies include:
Many yellow and green vegetables are good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, phytochemicals that accumulate in the eyes and help prevent age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in older people, notes research in the journalNutrientsin 2022. Leafy greens are also rich in beta-carotene. To get more of these eye-healthy nutrients, eat more of these fruits and veggies:
According to theNational Cancer Institute, cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and kale, provide compounds called indoles and isothiocyanates, which may help prevent cancer. Specifically, the Institute says these plant compounds may help protect cells from DNA damage, reduce inflammation, and inhibit tumor formation. Fill up on these nutritiouscruciferous vegetables:
Blue, purple and deep-red fruits and vegetables are full of anthocyanins and proanthocyanins, antioxidants that help keep your heart healthy and brain functioning optimally. In a 2021 review in the journalPharmaceuticals, consuming anthocyanin-rich foods reduces free radicals and inflammation to counteract oxidative stress (contributing to chronic disease) and protects cells from damage. Try theseantioxidant-rich foods:
Of course you should eat your favorite foods, but it’s important to vary your intake of fruits and vegetables and to aim to eat a rainbow of produce colors. Each color, as it’s found in nature, provides a different nutrient or plant compound that has unique health benefits, including protection against certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Not only do these add different flavors, but having a rainbow of color on your plate makes each meal gorgeous, too. As they say: Taste the rainbow!
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