According to nutrition experts, it’s a wonderful idea to consume everyday fruits and vegetables of various colors. This article will get you introduced to the many health benefits of foods that are blue in color. With so many options available out there, the addition of more blue-colored stuff to your diet should be an easy task.
Once you are through reading this article, share it on social media so that your family and friends, most especially those health-conscious ones, may also know the reasons why they should start eating more blue foods!
What makes blue fruits and vegetables look like that is the presence of a deep blue-colored plant-based pigment called anthocyanin. Scientists say that anthocyanin is also the one responsible for the striking coloration of many foods that are red and purple in color, like strawberries, red cabbage, plums, cranberries and eggplants.
The reason why anthocyanin is worthy of a lot of attention and praises is the fact that it is a very powerful antioxidant. Are you aware that there are lots and lots of antioxidants around? Some of them simply stand out from the rest because of their impressive abilities, and anthocyanins are some of those that really make a really huge impact.
However, anthocyanins are not the only things that make blue fruits and vegetables incredible. Nutrition experts say that most of them also contain good amounts of resveratrol, a compound with antioxidant properties.
Let’s now take a look at some of the reasons why blue-colored foods should be consumed on a regular basis:
They Help Lower Cancer Risk
Age, gender, ethnicity, family history, lifestyle, weight and diet — these are some of the well-known risk factors for many types of cancer. If you feel that you are at high risk of developing cancer one day, then it’s a great idea for you to start welcoming more and more blue-colored fruits and vegetables into your life.
Experts say that antioxidants responsible for giving all sorts of blue foods their characteristic coloration are proven to posses impressive anti-cancer properties.
They Reduce Risk of Heart Disease, Too
Blue-colored foods are also known to be very good at fending off heart disease as they help in managing two of the various risk factors for heart disease, and they are hypertension and high cholesterol.
Having high blood pressure and high bad cholesterol can eventually damage the blood vessels and harm the heart, and that’s why it is very important to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels within the normal range. There are many ways to make that happen, and one of those is the simple inclusion of more blue foods to the diet.
They Keep Infections From Striking
Many of the antioxidants in blue stuff are capable of activating the immune cells. In other words, the addition of blue fruits and vegetable to your diet as often as possible can help strengthen your immune system.
Especially when the flu or cold season is nearing, you should start eating lots of foods that are blue in color to have your immune system geared up for the presence of infection-causing bacteria and viruses. With their help, you can stay well and productive while most others are taking plenty of bed rest.
They Help Control Chronic Inflammation
You may not know it but there may be inflammation taking place within your body right this instant. It’s something that can be due to a number of reasons, from stress to exposure to toxins, and it can definitely put you at high risk of developing certain health problems that are related to inflammation, such as diabetes, arthritis and osteoporosis.
Blue-colored foods are loaded with compounds with superb anti-inflammatory properties, thus helping to put that chronic inflammation that may be happening within you to an end.
