That great presentation on your plate may not just be visually pleasing – it can also be good for you. A recent study mentioned in Psychology Today states that berries and other colorful fruits and veggies are full of polyphenols – an antioxidant that protects our cells from natural environmental stress and aging. These same helpful chemicals also found in green tea, olive oil and – whoo hoo – dark chocolate, also keep us vibrant and active.
The study, soon to appear in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, makes it clear: Eat your colors!
Polyphenols are responsible for providing plants their vibrant hues. These include strawberries, cranberries, purple grapes and pomegranates. So, it appears that the more colorful your diet, the healthier you will be.
According to James Joseph, a neuroscientist and director of the Neurosicence Lab at the USDA’s Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, these antioxidants keep our arteries supple and strong. And, they make for healthy brains, as well. He states it simply: “What’s good for your heart is also good for your brain." Eating fresh berries is the most beneficial as important compounds can be lost in processing.
But, heart and brain health don’t only require a colorful diet. We have to make it an ongoing lifestyle: diet as well as physical and mental exercise.
While we know the wonderful rewards our bodies and hearts gain from good physical exercise, activities such as reading books, working crossword puzzles and other brain workouts may aid in Alzheimer’s prevention.
Lesson learned: it’s best when we get the color in and the lead out!
From “Eat Your Colors” By PsychologyToday.com
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