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Hanging in the balance -

When it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, researchers agree that a balanced diet is key. We need nutrients from all the different food groups, and variety is paramount.

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How can we know? -

However, even with a basic understanding of the food groups, it can be difficult to know whether we are getting all the nutrients we need from the foods we eat.

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The rainbow diet -

An increasingly popular way to ensure we are getting all those different nutrients is to follow the ‘rainbow diet,’ i.e. eat foods with as many different colors as possible.

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The Mediterranean diet -

People often cite the Mediterranean diet, which is usually packed full of colorful fruits and vegetables, as proof that this rainbow-style regimen works.

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Scientific backing -

Indeed, scientists regularly rate the Mediterranean diet the healthiest diet out there. And that’s not just because they choose to boil rather than fry their veggies.

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Why eat rainbow -

There are in fact benefits to eating differently colored fruits and vegetables. This is because different plants provide different phytonutrients, which in turn have different benefits.

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Blue foods -

Blue and purple foods, for example, contain high amounts of the plant pigment anthocyanin, which has been linked to a decreased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

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Yellow and green foods -

Flavones, which make foods yellow, may lower the risk of heart disease, and lutein, which is common in green and yellow foods, may reduce the risk of macular degeneration.

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Flavonoids and the brain -

There are also studies to show that flavonoids, which are found in many brightly colored plant foods, can improve brain health by blocking neurotoxicity in the brain.

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Research-backed -

One study led by a Harvard research fellow showed that people who eat more foods rich in flavonoids, such as oranges and peppers, have less cognitive decline and dementia.

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It takes time -

The study was conducted over 20 years and those participants who saw the most benefits were those who had eaten flavonoid-rich foods for the duration of the study.

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Fear not -

However, the leader of the study emphasized that it is never too late to incorporate flavonoid-rich foods into your diet and reap the benefits.

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Added benefits -

The same researcher also noted that making an effort to follow a rainbow diet may help people stop eating too much of the same food.

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The danger of excess -

As most people are aware, eating too much of the same food item, even one that we think of as healthy, can be damaging to our health.

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Case study: orange juice -

Orange juice, for example, is great in moderation and has been linked with a lower risk of cognitive decline. In excess, however, it has been associated with type 2 diabetes.

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Concerns -

Some experts have expressed the concern that the rainbow diet can be harmful, as it may encourage people to rely too much on the fruit and vegetables food group.

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Remembering the food groups -

It is true that we also need to eat from the other food groups, such as protein and carbohydrates, to get all the nutrients that our bodies need.

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The span of the rainbow -

However, it could be argued that the rainbow diet is not restricted to fruit and veg, but extends to other natural foods, such as herbs, spices, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

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Tofu -

In fact, one nutritionist from the University of Western States even considers certain white foods such as tofu, which contains a variety of isoflavones, as part of the rainbow diet.

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Potential benefit -

It may even be the case that eating a variety of different colors encourages us to eat more fruit and vegetables overall.

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The study -

One study showed that encouraging people to eat a meal packed full of colors increased their consumption of healthy foods.

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Watch out -

However, we need to be careful about the application of the rainbow diet, since it is not always the case that more colorful means more nutrients.

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Colorful junk food -

Take pizza, for example. One study by a PhD student at Swansea University showed that we are more likely to eat more pizza if it has lots of different colored toppings.

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Treading the line -

Of course, overindulging in unhealthy foods such as pizza is not great, so it may be an idea to opt for a more restricted color palette when eating those foods.

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Artificial colors -

In addition, it’s important to note that artificial colors, such as those found in cakes and sweets, do not form part of a healthy rainbow diet.

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The importance of taste -

Researchers have also suggested other ways to ensure that we are consuming a variety of nutrients. One is to pay attention to the taste of the fruit and vegetables we eat.

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Bitter foods -

One study showed that bitter and strong-tasting vegetables can help reduce blood pressure and blood sugar because of the fiber and phytonutrients they provide.

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Better together -

The same study also showed that such vegetables are healthiest when eaten together, because they contain different antioxidants and phytochemicals that work together.

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Leaf vs. root -

Another consideration is the part of the vegetable that you’re eating. For instance, the nutritional benefits of cabbage as a leaf will differ from those of swede as a root.

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In conclusion -

Despite these considerations, it seems that the rainbow diet, which is easy to follow, is a great way to make sure we’re getting those all-important nutrients.

Sources: (BBC)

See also: The best and worst foods for your teeth

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