We’re launching a new blog series called “Eat the Rainbow“! Each week we’ll be highlighting foods of a different color of the rainbow and explaining the health benefits of each kind of food! This week we’ll start with RED!
You’ve no doubt heard the term “superfoods”. So what exactly makes a “superfood” super? Superfood is a non-medical term to refer to foods that have health promoting properties such as reducing the risk for chronic diseases and provide a high amount of antioxidants, vitamins, or other nutrients.
Red fruits & veggies get their color from natural plant pigments called “lycopene” or “anthocyanins”. Lycopene in tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit may help reduce risk of several types of cancer, especially prostate cancer. Anthocyanins in strawberries, raspberries, red grapes, & other fruits act as powerful antioxidants that protect from cell damage. Antioxidants are linked with keeping our hearts healthy, too.
Red food equals heart health!
Naturally red foods are rich in lycopene and anthocyanin, phytonutrients that improve blood pressure and enhance the circulatory system. These nutrients reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lower blood pressure, reduce tumor growth, and LDL cholesterol levels, scavenge harmful free-radicals, and support joint tissue for arthritis prevention.
Check out our list of heart healthy red foods & click on the names for recipes!: