Eating the rainbow
Studies show that people who eat more plant foods have reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.1, 2, 3 Studies have also shown that eating more plant food is associated with better brain health and lower inflammation.4, 5
Natural compounds called phytonutrients are components of plants that are powerful defenders of health. Phytonutrients provide many functions in plants, such as providing protection from pests and environmental stressors, along with imparting color and distinctive taste and smell. In the human body, phytonutrients provide many benefits including supporting the immune system, improving heart and blood vessel health, supporting brain health, and promoting healthy estrogen metabolism.6
Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of phytonutrients, along with whole grains, legumes, herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, and teas. Phytonutrients in food come in all different colors - green, yellow-orange, red, blue-purple, white, tan and brown. To promote good health, it is important to eat fruits and vegetables of varied colors each day6 - something we call “eating the rainbow”.
References:
Kim H, Caulfield LE, Garcia-Larsen V, et al. Plant-based diets are associated with a lower risk of incident cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all-cause mortality in a general population of middle-aged adults. J Am Heart Assoc. 2019 Aug 20;8(16):e012865. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.119.012865.
Cooper AJ, Sharp SJ, Lentjes MA, et al. A prospective study of the association between quantity and variety of fruit and vegetable intake and incident type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2012 Jun;35(6):1293-300. doi: 10.2337/dc11-2388.
Kunzmann AT, Coleman HG, Huang WY, et al. Fruit and vegetable intakes and risk of colorectal cancer and incident and recurrent adenomas in the PLCO cancer screening trial. Int J Cancer. 2016 Apr 15;138(8):1851-61. doi: 10.1002/ ijc.29922.
Yuan C, Fondell E, Bhushan A, et al. Long-term intake of vegetables and fruits and subjective cognitive function in US men. Neurology. 2019;92(1):e63-e75. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000006684.
Morris MC, Evans DA, Tangney CC, et al. Associations of vegetable and fruit consumption with age-related cognitive change. Neurology. 2006 Oct 24;67(8):1370-6. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000240224.38978.d8.
“Why Phytonutrients.” Phytonutrient Spectrum Comprehensive Guide, vol. 6, Institute of Functional Medicine, Washington DC, Washington, 2023, pp. 3–3.
