Sight and color perception are extremely important in our lives: they determine the way we see things, perceive the external world and reflexively our own internal world, and can have an impact on our emotions and our mood.

The sensory system is in fact a part of the nervous system that allows us to detect information coming from the external and internal environment.

When choosing a food, sight represents the most powerful sensorial tool and color is the most important parameter because it is often associated with the quality of the product (and also with the emotions it arouses) and consequently with the choice to consume or not consume that food. certain food.

In eating in a healthy and conscious way, in addition to giving importance to essential nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals), it is equally important to also take into consideration the therapeutic power of the colors of food, both from a biochemical point of view both nutritional and emotional.

Each food is characterized by a colored pigment both naturally and artificially (e.g. dyes and additives).

As far as plants are concerned, colors are the expression of different biochemical constituents, which play a specific role. In particular, they represent a sort of plant immune system, which triggers defense mechanisms against pathogens - viruses, fungi, bacteria, parasites, environmental factors, etc.

These are therefore complex characteristics and functions, which integrate with the more obvious one of giving color and flavor to the plants and therefore to the person who consumes them.

These natural chemical compounds responsible for the colors of the foods we eat are defined as Phytonutrients: organic compounds found in plant-based play a nutritional role since these compounds, during digestion, are absorbed and perform numerous regulatory roles in cellular metabolism (antioxidants , anti-inflammatory, immune defenses...).

We can group them into 5 different colors:

Blue-purple

Foods such as aubergines, broccoli, sprouts, berries, black grapes, radicchio, figs, plums, etc. contain anthocyanins-flavonoids (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-atherosclerotic, antiviral activities)

Red

Foods such as tomato, strawberry, plum, cherry, red pepper, watermelon, red apple, blood oranges, watermelon, beetroot, currant, chili pepper, radishes, red onion, pomegranate, raspberry, contain lycopenes (protect against cardiovascular diseases, have powerful anti-tumor activity (e.g. against prostate cancer) and protect against cellular aging).

Yellow-Orange

Foods such as yellow pepper, carrot, yellow cauliflower, pumpkin, corn, apricot, lemon, orange, mandarin, lotus, melon, peach, medlar, pineapple, mango, papaya, yellow plum, contain carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin (they have anti-tumor properties, antioxidants, anti-aging, improve vision and strengthen the immune system).

Green

Foods such as spinach, chard, chicory, green beans, turnip greens, broccoli, green cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, artichoke, peas, celery, courgette, savoy cabbage, various salads, cucumber, basil, broad beans, kiwi, parsley, daikon , grapes, limes, contain chlorophylls-glucosinolates (they have detoxifying and anti-tumor properties, are anti-anemic, promote the absorption of iron and contain vitamin C, especially in Cruciferous vegetables).

White

Foods such as apple, celery, pears, fennel, leeks, onions, mushrooms, cauliflower, banana, garlic, celeriac, Belgian endive, contain quercetin-isothiocyanates (they have antioxidant properties, reduce cholesterol levels, prevent hypertension and anemia).

References

• Molecules. 2022 Jun 24;27(13):4061. doi: 10.3390/molecules27134061. Should We 'Eat a Rainbow'? An Umbrella Review of the Health Effects of Colorful Bioactive Pigments in Fruits and Vegetables. Michelle Blumfield et al.
• Food Nutr Res. 2017 Aug 13;61(1):1361779. Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the potential health benefits. Hock Eng Khoo et al.
• Nutrients. 2017 Dec 1;9(12):1310. doi: 10.3390/nu9121310.
• Functional Foods and Lifestyle Approaches for Diabetes Prevention and Management, Ahmad Alkhatib et al.
• Arch Biochem Biophys. 2018 Aug 15:652:18-26. doi: 10.1016/j.abb.2018.06.001. Epub 2018 Jun 6. Carotenoids in human nutrition and health. Manfred Eggersdorfer et al.