Purple Carrots and Color Power

Take a moment to appreciate how nature attracts us with vibrant colors to the healthiest foods.

Dark Red and Purple

The dark colors of strawberries and blueberries (and purple carrots) come from a specialized group of natural pigments called anthyocyanins that have unique health promoting properties:

• Antioxidant
• Anti-inflammatory
• DNA protection
• Nitric oxide release (relaxes blood vessels and limits plaque build up)

Impressive Results from Colorful Medicine

Blood Pressure Lowering

A study showed a substantial drop in pressure from eating the equivalent of 1 cup of blueberries a day: a 7 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure (the top number of the blood-pressure reading) and 5 mmHg in diastolic (the bottom number).  As expected, the level of blood-vessel-relaxing nitric oxide was a full 50% higher in the blueberry eaters compared to controls.

Heart Attack Prevention

Eating 4 or more servings of blueberries or strawberries each week was shown to trim the rate of heart attacks by 34% in 93,000 women studied over 18 years.

Shopping Considerations

Keep these facts in mind:

• Frozen works as well as fresh—Summer is a great time to buy fresh, but frozen may be more affordable year-round and offers the same health benefits.
• Buy organic if you can—Strawberries are the single most pesticide-laden of all the fruit and vegetables (blueberries are #17, as assessed by the Environmental Working Group). But if organic isn’t an option, don’t forego the health benefits—just buy what’s available and wash carefully.

It’s almost a spiritual experience to imagine that the most attractively colored fruits and vegetables happen to contain the most powerful medicine. And best of all, other than possible blueberry stains, no side effects!

References:

Daily Blueberry Consumption Improves Blood Pressure

High Anthocyanin Intake Is Associated With a Reduced Risk of Myocardial Infarction

Environmental Working Group