From HealthMATTERS:
Bright colors abound in the produce section of your local grocery store. These vibrant foods are more than just pleasing to the eye. Colorful plant chemicals – such as carotenoids and flavonoids – contain antioxidants that can strengthen your immune system reduce your risk for heart disease, and help prevent some types of cancer.
A plant’s color alone is often a reliable indicator of its nutritional and disease-fighting value. Some of the most valuable carotenoid plant pigments are lycopene and lutein:
The lycopene in red tomatoes and tomato products may help prevent [prostrate] and [lung and stomach] cancers.
Lutein is found in yellow or orange fruits and vegetables. Chlorophyll masks lutein’s tell-tale yellow color in many dark green vegetables. But kale, spinach, and collard greens actually provide your richest lutein sources. Lutein seems to cut the risk for macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly.
