From the cornucopia filled with food, to a field of wild flowers to the beauty of a rainbow, you can see color everyday in all things. But, did you know that adding color to your plate may add years to your life?

Nature is filled with a beautiful spectrum of color.  From the cornucopia filled with food, to a field of wild flowers to the beauty of a rainbow, you can see color everyday in all things.  But, did you know that adding color to your plate may add years to your life?

It’s true, the natural pigments that make fruits and vegetables so colorful can also help protect your body from common diseases and illnesses as you age. Scientists have made discoveries about the health benefits of highly pigmented fruits and vegetables, which contain disease-fighting compounds called phytonutrients as well as antioxidants. These powerhouses act to fight off free radicals that cause cancer and a host of other ailments that increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and more.

Ultraviolet light causes chemicals called free radicals to form within plant cells. If free radicals move through plant cells without being neutralized or eliminated, they can begin to destroy parts of the plant. Antioxidants stop free radicals, shielding cells from harm. Typically, an intensely colored plant (fruit or vegetable) has more of these protective chemicals than a paler one does.

Free radicals are a problem for plants as well as people and animals. Ultraviolet light isn't the only source of these damaging chemicals. Breathing polluted air, such as smog or automobile exhaust, also contributes to you taking in chemicals that cause such damage. In addition, the body produces free radicals as it processes food.

Our bodies have natural defenses for fighting off free radicals. The body makes molecules, known as antioxidants that stop free radicals before they can harm us. There is a constant and ongoing battle between opposing chemical reactions in which repair enzymes battle free radicals for control of cell and body.

The key to fighting free radicals with fruits and vegetables is to mix and match colors. Select very bright colors and try to consume as many different colors as you can.

Here's just a brief list of the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables rich in color:

• The red found in tomatoes and strawberries helps reduce the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, and other types of cancers.
• The yellow found in corn and banana squash protects against macular degeneration, the number-one cause of blindness in the elderly.
• The orange found in carrots, oranges and sweet potatoes helps prevent heart disease by lowering cholesterol and helps reduce the risk of stroke.
• The green found in dark, leafy greens such as kale and spinach help prevent cancer.
• The blue in blueberries helps protect memory and motor function as you age, and helps fight cancer and heart disease.
• The purple in Concord grapes and grape juice helps prevent heart disease.

In addition, here is a list of potent antioxidants that can be found in various fruits and vegetables:

• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) — oranges, tangerines, sweet peppers, strawberries, potatoes, broccoli, kiwi fruit
• Vitamin E — seeds, nuts, peanut butter, wheat germ, avocado
• Beta carotene (a form of Vitamin A) — carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, red peppers, apricots, cantaloupe, mangoes, pumpkin, spinach
• Anthocyanin — eggplant, grapes, berries
• Lycopene — tomatoes, pink grapefruit, watermelon
• Lutein — broccoli, brussels sprouts, spinach, kale, corn

The next time you are in the grocery, look around for ways to make your dinner plate not just nutritionally balanced but colorful as well.

By Christina Leon, Staff Writer