Originally published February 2 2006
Food expert believes color is the key to choosing healthy vegetables
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Ron Wrolstad, a food scientist at Oregon State University, provides an in-depth discussion of how color should impact consumers' decisions about what vegetables to eat.
When it comes to choosing fruits and vegetables, color matters.
The pigments in blueberries, for example, not only make them pleasing to the eye but also give them their anti-aging properties.
What do you look for in fruits and vegetables?
If you were shopping with food scientist Ron Wrolstad you'd probably be even more selective.
He looks for fruits packed with chemical nutrients.
"Pears are a good example because the peel is very, very rich in polyphenolic compounds," said Wrolstad, a food scientist at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore.
Fruits and vegetables contain an abundant amount of essential nutrients such as vitamins, folic acid and minerals.
Fruits and vegetables contain an abundant amount of essential nutrients such as vitamins, folic acid and minerals.
"Our result would not be, 'Thou shall eat only Red Delicious apples,' eat those apples which most appeal to you," Wrolstad said.
Fresh produce usually has the most nutrients -- but there are exceptions -- like the prostate cancer prevention compound lycopene.
Researches now say knowing which produce is more healthful is as easy as looking at the color.
"A pizza sauce, the lycopene is actually absorbed more readily than it is from the raw tomato," Wrolstad said.
Organics have fewer pesticides and possibly more nutrients.
If you don't care for fruits or vegetables and instead take supplements, researchers say you may want to reconsider because you're better off with the real thing.
Plus, there's no risk of overdosing and you'll expose yourself to a wider variety of nutrients.
There are thousands of different phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables.
Scientists are just beginning to understand how they interact with each other to prevent heart disease and cancer.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml