Health Alert: Colorful foods

Описание: CINCINNATI (Holly Firfer) -- Eating a healthy balanced diet can be as easy as picking your favorite colors.That may sound fun, but there's science behind it. Colorful produce is good and its healthy to put a rainbow on your plate. It's springtime and planting season. Farmers across the country are seeding, sowing and tilling the land, which means more fresh and colorful produce at grocery stores and outdoor markets this summer.Marie Spano is a registered dietitian and said, Blues, purple, red, orange, yellow, even white. Every single color tells the story about the health benefits of every fruit or vegetable."Nutritionists say when it comes to summer produce it's a cornucopia of colors. The more color you add, the healthier the meal.Spano said, Each color signifies an array of certain antioxidants within the food and those antioxidants have certain health benefits."So what are the benefits of certain colors? Purple produce like red cabbage, plums and concord grapes contain anthocyanin, that's known to cut the risk of some cancers, diabetes and heart attacks. Red items such as tomatoes are filled with lycopene, an antioxidant that according to certain studies lowers the risk of certain types of prostate, lung and stomach cancers.And yellow vegetables? That yellow color means they are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin which are important for eye health," said Spano.Try blue produce like eggplants and blueberries. They contain nutrients shown to lower bad cholesterol and boost the immune system. Try for five servings every day, and switch up the colors. A fun way to stay healthy! Follow us on Twitter @Local12 and LIKE us on Facebook for updates!