Ever wonder why people are so attracted to colors? Like when you walk into the grocery store and see the vibrant spectrum of fruits and vegetables in the cold food section. Are our attractions to these pigments a built in survival mechanism?
Science is only just now scratching the surface on nutrition and how our food plays a roll in our lives. We are now beginning to unravel the mystery of our food, the importance of how it’s grown, transported, and even how the chemical make up of its pigmentation could potentially prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’, dementia, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, cancer and more!
Above, is a photograph of a delicious bowl of mashed purple sweet potatoes. Why purple you ask? Well come to find out, the purple pigment in this type of sweet potato comes from a natural chemical called cyanidin-3-glucoside. (1)
Cyanidin-3-glucoside is a type of Anthocyanin, a phytonutrient bioflavonoid that not only makes this potatoe and other plants such as carrots, cauliflower, beets and kale appear purple to our retina, but also gives these plants their super rich antioxidant benefits. Purple sweet potatoes have been shown in recent studies to have higher amounts of these Anthocyanins than their orange relatives, giving them much higher free radical and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging abilities.
How does this prevent Alzheimer’s, dementia and other diseases you ask? Because the known mechanism of these diseases originate from free radical damage and oxidative stress inside of the DNA, proteins and cells.
Free radicals and ROS are unstable and highly reactive atoms or groups of atoms with an unpaired electron. Free radicals form in our body when one weak bond between electrons is broken, resulting in an uneven number of electrons. This process of chemical reactions are natural and happen all the time.
However, a balance between free radicals and antioxidants is necessary for proper physiological function. If free radicals overwhelm the body's ability to regulate them, a condition known as oxidative stress ensues. Free radicals thus adversely alter lipids, proteins, and DNA and trigger a number of human diseases. (3)
Anthocyanins responsible for the colors, red, purple, and blue, that are in fruits and vegetables. Berries, currants, grapes, and some tropical fruits have high anthocyanins content. Red to purplish blue-colored leafy vegetables, grains, roots, and tubers are the edible vegetables that contain a high level of anthocyanins. Among the anthocyanin pigments, cyanidin-3-glucoside is the major anthocyanin found in most of the plants.
Scientific studies, such as cell culture studies, animal models, and human clinical trials, show that anthocyanidins and anthocyanins possess antioxidative and antimicrobial activities, improve visual and neurological health, and protect against various non-communicable diseases. These studies confer the health effects of anthocyanidins and anthocyanins, which are due to their potent antioxidant properties. Different mechanisms and pathways are involved in the protective effects, including free-radical scavenging pathway, cyclooxygenase pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, and inflammatory cytokines signaling. (2)
By consuming a diet high in antioxidant rich foods, we can clean up free radicals that cause damage to our cells and promote amyloid and Tau Protein formation. Tau proteins are nuerofibrillary tangles and one of the major hallmark signs for Alzheimer’s disease. These tangles make it very hard for the brain to communicate and can make even the most common tasks seem confusing or impossible.
Many of these highly pigmented plants have many more benefits. This maybe why they appear so attractive to our eyes.
Below are the instructions to a delicious recipe of Purple Mashed Potatoes that is sure to provide lasting vitality to your mind and body:
Ingredients
2 medium purple sweet potatoes (Stokes Purple)
1-2 tbsp French or Italian butter
Sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt
Pepper
Few small stems fresh rosemary
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Optional: a drizzle of lime
INSTRUCTIONS
Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain water, let slightly cool and peel the skin. Mash the potatoes in a bowl, add the butter, salt and pepper, mix and taste. Adjust if necessary. Add to a serving bowl, add extra virgin oil on top and decorate with few rosemary leaves, salt flakes, a cube of butter and a drizzle of lime if you wish.
Resources:
Comments