Comparison of 8 Vegetables That Come In Different Colors
When we go shopping at the supermarket, we
usually choose vegetables in shades that we’re used to seeing, and this
is due to a number of reasons, including preference of taste and
texture, but what about the health benefits that each vegetable color
provides? There are significant dietary differences between red and
green red peppers, for example, or between purple and yellow onions, and
today we’ll learn about these benefits and find out which vegetable
colors are the best for our health. Below are 8 vegetables that come in
different colors and we explain what their differences can mean for your
health.
1. Bell peppers
Bell peppers come in three different colors
- green, red and yellow/orange. The red and yellow/orange bell peppers
are riper than the green ones, so green bells have a more bitter taste
than others. They also have the lowest nutritional value, with the red
bell pepper having the highest amount of potassium and vitamins A and C.
As a result, the red variety is considered to be the healthiest of all
bell peppers.
2. Onions
Onions comes in many varieties and colors,
the most common being white, yellow, purple and green. Most of us use
the yellow onion, but you may want to start adding more purple onions to
your diet. This is because they have a higher antioxidant content,
making them great for cancer prevention.
In addition, all types of onions are good blood thinners, but purple is
more efficient at this because they contain a greater number of
flavonoids. Although green onions can’t be compared to other onions when
it comes to cooking, you should know that the green onion has twice as
much potassium than other onions, and the vitamin A and C content is
significantly higher, but it does not contain vitamin B6 as other onions
do.
3. Cabbage 
If you eat a cup of green cabbage a day you
get 3% of the recommended daily serving of vitamin A, but if you
consume the same amount of purple cabbage, you will get 19% of the
recommended amount of vitamin A per day.
The same can be said about the vitamin C content of purple cabbage, and
in addition, only purple cabbage contains anthocyanin, which is a
flavonoid that helps prevent cancer and improve memory. Eating purple
cabbage is recommended for those who are on a diet because anthocyanin
causes the release of hormones in the body that suppress appetite.
4. Beans
Beans may not be vegetables, but because
they are so popular in cooking, and they come in so many colors and
types, it's a food that cannot be left off this list. All types of beans
have a high amount of protein and folic acid and a low glycemic index.
However, each type of bean has a variety of health benefits, such as,
reducing the risk of cancer, lowering cholesterol, and diabetes
prevention.
5. Carrots
You can find carrots in many different
colors at farmers markets, with the most common being orange, purple and
white. Orange carrots contain a high amount of beta-carotene, which
helps maintain eye health and improves vision in the dark, but a higher
amount can be found in the purple variety.
In addition, the purple carrot also has anthocyanins, which are powerful
antioxidants that remove free radicals from the body and help maintain
normal blood flow. Compared to these two, white carrots are considered
the least recommended, simply because they do not provide the same
health benefits as orange and purple carrots.
6. Tomatoes
We usually eat red tomatoes, but at various
markets and stores, you can also find the black variety, which is
considered healthier and more nutritious. Black tomatoes get their color
from the anthocyanins found in them, which, as mentioned previously,
helps prevent cancer and improves memory.
This benefit makes black tomatoes highly recommended for people with
vascular problems, as anthocyanins contribute to protecting the body
against cardiovascular disease. They also have greater numbers of
vitamin A and C, so they better contribute to improved vision and
reduced inflammation than red tomatoes.
7. Potatoes
There are many special varieties of
potatoes, but those most frequently used in the kitchen are russet and
red potatoes. Red potatoes contain fewer carbohydrates and more protein,
which means they are more helpful in weight loss, but if want to
increase your iron and calcium intake, you should choose the russet
potato - it contains 1.9 mg iron and 14 mg calcium per 85 grams, while
the red variety contains only 0.7 mg of iron and no calcium at all.
8. Garlic
White garlic is the most recognized and
common variety of garlic, but during certain times of the year, you can
also find purple garlic, which is considered to be much healthier. It
reduces the amount of insulin that the body secretes, which helps
diabetics cope with the disease, has stronger anti-inflammatory
properties than white garlic and contains more antioxidants such as,
allicin and magnesium, which help prevent the development of cancer
cells. For all these reasons, it is not difficult to understand why
purple garlic is more recommended than white.
Conclusion
When you’re faced with picking vegetables at the supermarket, grocers,
or farmers market, choose the ones with darker colors, especially red
and purple. The same stuff that gives these vegetables their color also
keeps cancer away and improves circulation in the body, which is very
important for maintaining health. In addition, they also contain more
vitamins that strengthen various systems in our body and are therefore
undoubtedly the smartest and healthiest choice.