Shalini Arvind, Chief dietician at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore, shares some very beneficial facts about fruits that form an integral part of the concept of ‘Rainbow Nutrition’.

We have grown up hearing that we can find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Though that was a belief, the fact is that if not the pot of gold, we can at least get a healthy life if we follow the rainbow diet. Consuming healthy food forms an important part of a person’s effort to live a healthy life. It not only increases their productivity but also keeps away various diseases.

Every hospital has a nutritionist on board who curates menu for the patients being treated at the hospital. Every patient has different needs which vary depending on their medical condition, which forms a base for their diet plan. What helps us make the food appealing is the colour of the fruits and vegetables and these colors also adds to the nutritional value of the food. The naturally occurring chemical compounds in these fruits and vegetables, scientifically called phytochemicals, from where they get their natural colour, play an essential role in preventive and in therapeutic nutrition. Adding just five to six servings of fruits and vegetables can prevent cardiovascular diseases among patients, and helps in improving the guts health, improve vision, and make their skin healthy etc. This is because they enrich a person with powerful antioxidants that boost their immune system and provide protection.

Red

Red coloured fruits and vegetables help to reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lowers blood pressure, tumor growth and LDL cholesterol levels. This group includes beets, cherries, cranberries, guava, papaya, pink grapefruit, etc. They help reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis and diabetes.

These fruits and vegetables contain a plant compound called carotenoids which in turn contains beta-carotene, which is then converted into Vitamin A once a patient consumes it. Vitamin A improves the immune system of a person, promotes bone growth and regulates cell growth and division. Lutein and zeaxanthin along with Vitamin A are important for healthy vision.

Orange & Yellow

Fruits and vegetables which are orange and yellow in colour contain beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and Vitamin C. These nutrients reduce age-related macular degeneration, prostate cancer, lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure. They also promote the formation of collagen and healthy joints, encourage alkaline balance, and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones. Some of them include apricots, muskmelons, carrots, lemon, mangoes, oranges, papayas. These help in developing healthy skin too.

Green

Dark green vegetables like spinach, fenugreek leaves, radish leaves, broccoli, coriander leaves are powerhouses of a functional food component. A meal without greens is considered incomplete. They are rich in chlorophyll, fibre, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, folate, vitamin C, vitamin B, calcium, and beta-carotene. The vegetables and fruits which are green in colour reduces the risk of cancer, normalize digestion time, support retinal health and vision, fight harmful free-radicals, and boost immune system activity.

A good immune system can reduce the risk of diseases and also help us recover faster. Consuming whites can help in achieving that. These fruits and vegetables include beta-glucans, lignans, etc, that provide powerful immune boosting activity. These nutrients also activate lymphocytes involved in adaptive immunity (B and T cells), reduce the risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers, and balance hormone levels, reducing the risk of hormone-related cancers. Some of the whites that can be included in the diet are bananas, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, shallots, and turnips.

Including these in a diet can go a long way in getting a pot of gold in form of healthy living.