Antioxidants: Filling your Dish with Colours!

Antioxidants protects us against the damage caused by free radicals in our organism, preventing the premature ageing of cells and certain affections.

A simple way of taking antioxidants is through our diet. Colours help us identify what kind of antioxidants certain food provides, since the natural pigment is related to different antioxidants and their benefits for our health.

RED

Foods: red bell pepper, tomato, strawberries, raspberries, pomegranate, water melon...

ANTIOXIDANTS

• Lycopene: especially beneficial for cardiovascular health.
• Anthocyanidins: has anti-inflammatory properties.
• Vitamin C: enhances cell regeneration and the immune system.

ORANGE AND YELLOW

Foods: carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato, citrus...

ANTIOXIDANTS

• Carotenoids, and especially beta-carotenes, are transformed into vitamin A inside our organism. This vitamin is key to our eye and skin health and the immune system.
• Citrus are also rich in vitamin C.

GREEN

Foods: artichoke, Brussel’s sprout, kiwi, spinaches, broccoli... 

ANTIOXIDANTS

• Lutein and zeaxanthin: they are naturally present in the eye’s macula and help protect it from harmful light, reduce eye degeneration (cataract) and improves visual acuity.
• Essential vitamins and minerals for our health and high content in fibre: this helps us have a good digestive functioning.

BLUE AND PURPLE

Foods: blueberries, blackberries, black grapes, eggplants, plums... 

ANTIOXIDANTS

• Anthocyanins: strong antioxidant action which helps improve blood flux, protects the brain and reduces the risk of heart diseases.
• Resveratrol: it is especially present in black grapes, red wine, blueberries and blackberries. It is known thanks to its heart-protecting and antiaging properties.

ANTIOXIDANTS AND OLIVE OIL FOR A BETTER ABSORPTION

How you cook or combine your food can make a difference in how many antioxidants are absorbed by the organism. Extra virgin olive oil does not only provide healthy fats, but also improves the absorption of fat-soluble antioxidants such as carotenoids (beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein). So adding a little bit of extra virgin olive oil to a carrot and pumpkin soup or in bakes tomatoes, for example, will bring their flavour out and multiply their benefits.