The Color of Food, Fruits, and Vegetables and the Link to Their Associated Vitamins

Eating colorful fruits and vegetables can help you live a longer life. Different colors of produce have different vitamins and nutrients associated with several health benefits.

You'll often hear health experts encourage you to eat a “rainbow" of fruits and vegetables. Eating colorful foods doesn't just make your meal look prettier — it can help you live a longer life, too. Highly pigmented foods get their color from the nutrients they contain. These beneficial plant compounds, called phytonutrients, protect the plants from threats in their environment, and they can protect you by reducing your risks of chronic disease and some cancers. For example, red vitamins in foods like strawberries and tomatoes may protect against heart and lung disease. Every color provides different benefits, so try to include as many colors in your diet as possible. 

Red and pink fruits and vegetables are high in the phytonutrients lycopene, which is associated with vitamin C. Foods high in vitamin C may help your immune system function better and may help reduce systemic inflammation in your body. Chronic inflammation and an impaired immune system may cause a many types of diseases, including: 

• Cancer
• Neurological abnormalities
• Cardiovascular diseases 
• Diabetes
• Pulmonary diseases
• Obesity 
• Immunological diseases

The nutrients most often found in red fruits and vegetables include: 

• Anthocyanidins
• Ellagic acid
• Hesperidin
• Lycopene
• Quercetin
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A
• Potassium

A review of studies showed that red fruits and vegetables are also associated with improved cholesterol levels and reduced pain with osteoporosis. To reap these benefits, try some of the following red fruits and vegetables: 

• Red apples
• Tomatoes
• Red beets
• Red bell peppers
• Raspberries
• Cherries
• Strawberries
• Watermelon
• Pomegranate 

Orange colored fruits and vegetables are loaded with phytonutrients including beta-carotene, which is vitamin A. They also contain vitamin C, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, and potassium. The nutrients in orange and yellow fruits and vegetables provide the following health benefits: 

• Lowers your risk of prostate cancer
• Promotes eye health and lowers your risk of macular degeneration 
• Helps with collagen formation and healthy joints
• Boosts your immune system
• Lowers your blood pressure and bad cholesterol
• Plays a role in building healthier bones

The phytonutrients in orange-colored produce has also been associated with reduced risk of insulin resistance, decreased time to pregnancy in couples with unexplained infertility, and higher sperm concentration in healthy men, and overall reproductive health. Enjoy a variety of orange fruits and vegetables such as: 

• Carrots
• Orange bell peppers
• Pumpkin
• Sweet potatoes
• Turmeric
• Yams
• Blood oranges
• Cantaloupe
• Kumquat
• Mangoes
• Oranges
• Peaches
• Persimmons

Green leafy vegetables such as kale are considered "super foods" because of their high nutrient content. But the benefits of chlorophyll and lutein — the phytonutrients that give green fruits and vegetables their color — aren't limited to kale and spinach. Some of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients you'll find in green produce include: 

• Vitamins A, B, C, E, and K
• Potassium
• Iron
• Calcium
• Manganese
• Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)
• Indoles
• Isoflavones
• Isothiocyanates
• Lutein
• Sulforaphane 

The nutrients in green fruits and vegetables are particularly beneficial for heart health. Leafy greens have been associated with lower blood pressure, improved blood flow, and better exercise tolerance. Green cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage have been linked to lower rates of death from heart disease. 

Green fruits and vegetables can also help you fight cancer and other diseases, support bone and teeth health, and help speed the healing process. Some of the top greens for health include: 

• Kale
• Broccoli
• Spinach 
• Brussels sprouts
• Asparagus
• Green grapes
• Kiwi fruit

If you want to improve your brain health and mood, blue and purple plants can help. Blue and purple fruits and vegetables get their rich color from anthocyanins and vitamin C. Anthocyanins have been associated with living longer, better cardiovascular health, cancer prevention, vision protection, and improved memory and cognition. 

Studies have shown that drinking grape juice improved cognitive function in older adults, helped mothers improve their spatial memory and driving performance, and improved reaction time in healthy young adults. Blueberries have also been associated with better performance on vocabulary tests among 7 to 10-year-old children and improved mood in children and adults. 

Anthocyanins and other beneficial phytonutrients can be found in the following blue and purple fruits and vegetables: 

• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Figs
• Prunes
• Purple grapes
• Eggplant
• Purple cabbage
• Purple kale

Although not considered traditional rainbow colors, white and brown produce are also high in disease-fighting nutrients like potassium, beta-glucans, fiber, lignans, and epigallocatechin gallate. Fiber is important to your digestive health, and potassium helps with muscle function and promotes heart health. 

Garlic contains allicin, a compound that has antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. It may also help protect against nerve damage, which can help prevent neurodegenerative diseases. White potatoes are high in potassium and magnesium, which can help with disease prevention and high blood pressure. White potatoes have a bad reputation, but if you eat them in moderation and prepare them in healthy ways, they can contribute to your overall health. Some of the healthiest white and brown fruits and vegetables include: 

• Bananas
• Cauliflower
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Jicama
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Parsnips
• Potatoes
• Turnips

In all, a healthy diet should include plenty of each color. Although certain colors are associated with certain benefits, you shouldn't focus on eating one color over the others and exclude certain kinds of nutrients. Studies have shown that most adults don't consume enough fruits and vegetables, and subsequently do not get enough phytonutrients, especially in the blue and purple category. The federal government generally recommends that adults eat about two cups of fruit and three cups of vegetables per day, and those cups should include many colors. Given the variety of health benefits fruits and vegetables provide, it's worth taking a look at your fruit and vegetable consumption habits, and making your refrigerator more colorful.