Purple Produce: cabbage, blueberries, kale, carrots and other beauties purple

I like a lot of colour in my garden too...

Purple Produce: cabbage, blueberries, kale, carrots and other beauties purple

I always assumed my love affair with bright colours was pretty much visual, but now I’m learning about research that shows that purple tinted produce is actually healthier than its pale faced cousins.  While green cabbage is to me bland, stinky and repellent, red or purple cabbage is not only beautiful, but has a slightly zingier taste.  Now I learn that it also has higher levels of anthocyanins, which are associated with reducing inflammation, suppressing growth of cancer cells and triggering cancer cell death, according to a study done by Ohio State University. http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2009/apr/22/purple-power/?food

According to an article titled “Purple Passion” in The Health Journal, http://www.thehealthjournals.com/2012/02/purple-passion/ these anthocyanins are in “plums, pomegranates, beets, eggplant, elderberries, blackberries, bilberries, cherries, black currants, purple grapes, purple onions, purple/red cabbage, purple rice, purple potatoes and yes… purple corn, to name a few.”  They also exist in blue and red produce by the way, but if you peel that purple, blue or red skin, you will be throwing out the good stuff.  

Now I’m especially happy that the packet of red kale seed that I bought a couple of weeks ago will contribute to more than just the beauty of my garden, it will make me healthier too!  If you have any more information on how anthocyanins help us, please let us know by using the comment form below.

Don't forget about beets!

Update: Today's Globe and Mail (09/03/12) has an article about researchers discovering that pigments in fruits and vegetables affect skin colouring in a good way.  The colours actually show up on the skin, in a very subtle way that creates a warm, healthy glow!