Color Wheel of Fruits and Vegetables

By eating fruits and vegetables of a variety of different colors, one can get the best all-around health benefits. Each different color fruit and vegetables contains unique health components that are essential to our health.

Red Fruits and Vegetables

Contain nutrients such as lycopene, ellagic acid, Quercetin, and Hesperidin, to name a few. These nutrients reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lower blood pressure, reduce tumor growth and LDL cholesterol levels, scavenge harmful free-radicals, and support join tissue in arthritis cases.

Orange and Yellow fruits and vegetables
Contain beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and vitamin C. These nutrients reduce age-related macula degeneration and the risk of prostate cancer, lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, promote collagen formation and healthy joints, fight harmful free radicals, encourage alkaline balance, and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones.

Green vegetables and Fruit
Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, fiber, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, folate, vitamin C, calcium, and Beta-carotene. The nutrients found in these vegetables reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels, normalize digestion time, support retinal health and vision, fight harmful free-radicals, and boost immune system activity.

Blue and purple fruits and vegetables
Contain nutrients which include lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, vitamin C, fiber, flavonoids, ellagic acid, and quercetin. Similar to the previous nutrients, these nutrients support retinal health, lower LDL cholesterol, boost immune system activity, support healthy digestion, improve calcium and other mineral absorption, fight inflammation, reduce tumor growth, act as an anticarcinogens in the digestive tract, and limit the activity of cancer cells.

White fruits and vegetables
Contain nutrients such as beta-glucans, EGCG, SDG, and lignans that provide powerful immune boosting activity. These nutrients also activate natural killer B and T cells, reduce the risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers, and balance hormone levels, reducing the risk of hormone-related cancers.

Taken from: http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/fruits-vegetables.shtml

Which Fruits and Vegetables Provide the Most Nutrients?

Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2000, United States Department of Agriculture

The lists below show which fruits and vegetables are the best sources of vitamin A (carotenoids), vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Eat at least 2 servings of fruits and at least 3 servings of vegetables each day.

Sources of vitamin A (carotenoids)
Orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin
Dark-green leafy vegetables such as spinach, collards, turnip greens
Orange fruits like mango, cantaloupe, apricots
Tomatoes

Sources of vitamin C
Citrus fruits and juices, kiwi fruit, strawberries, cantaloupe
Broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes
Leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, turnip greens, spinach
Sources of folate
Cooked dry beans and peas, peanuts
Oranges, orange juice
Dark-green leafy vegetables like spinach and mustard greens, romaine lettuce
Green peas

Sources of potassium
Baked white or sweet potato, cooked greens (such as spinach), winter (orange) squash
Bananas, plantains, dried fruits such as apricots and prunes, orange juice
Cooked dry beans (such as baked beans) and lentils