9 Health Benefits of Red Fruits and Vegetables
Registered Dietician
| 2 min read
Fruits and vegetables are a great way to get many healthy nutrients into our diet. We should all strive to fill our plates with a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. Here, I’m focusing on the benefits of produce with a red hue.
Red foods consist of everything from fruits, including watermelon, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, apples; and vegetables like tomatoes, red peppers, red onions, and red cabbage. These colorful and tasty foods are gifts from nature. They offer many health benefits because they have some of the following nutrients; lycopene, ellagic acid, quercetin, hesperidin, fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C.
Some of those benefits include:
- Reducing the risk of prostate cancer.
- Protecting the body from prostate, cervical and lung cancer.
- Reducing tumor growth.
- Protecting the body from harmful free radicals.
- Protecting the body against heart disease.
- Lowering blood pressure.
- Lowering LDL cholesterol, which is the bad cholesterol in the body.
- Supporting joint tissue for those with arthritis.
- Keeping one regular by aiding in gastrointestinal health.
There are many ways to sneak in extra red fruits and vegetables daily. Here are a few recipes to try to get nature’s fast food with red color and nutrients.
Let me know if you try any of these wonderful recipes or share some of your own. What are some of your favorite red fruits and vegetables? How do you incorporate them into your day? Don’t forget plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables will keep you healthier for a lifetime.
Like this post? Check these out:
Photo credit: digihelion
