Did you know there are over 800 different types of fruit and vegetables out there?

The wonderful colors in vegetables and fruits represent over 25,000 different phytonutrients which, when consumed, stimulate enzymes that help the body eliminate toxins, boost the immune system, promote healthy estrogen metabolism, support cardiovascular health and kill off cancer cells.

Yet honestly speaking, how many different varieties can you say you try every week?

Yes, we all usually stick to the same few all the time. Maybe out of habit, maybe out of convenience, hopefully for seasonal reasons as well.

But did you know that each color, green, yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, actually represents different families of healing chemicals?

For instance, the anthocyanins that turn blueberries, plums and eggplants blue and purple are also responsible for keeping your mind sharp, the lycopene that turns watermelon, tomatoes and red peppers red also work to protect against cancers, and the beta carotene that makes carrots, pumpkins and mangos orange can help keep your bones strong and your immune system healthy.

Here’s a full breakdown:

Blue, Purple & Deep Red

Blue, purple and deep-red fruits and vegan food are full of anthocyanins and proanthocyanins, antioxidants associated with keeping the heart healthy and the brain functioning optimally.

Green, cruciferous

Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and kale, provide compounds called indoles and isothiocyanates, which may help prevent cancer by amping up the production of enzymes that clear toxins from the body.

Yellow & Green, leafy greens

Many yellow and green vegetables are good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, phytochemicals that accumulate in the eyes and help prevent age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in older people. Leafy greens are also rich in beta-carotene.

Orange

Alpha and beta carotene make foods like carrots and sweet potatoes so brilliantly orange. The body converts these compounds into the active form of vitamin A, which helps keep your eyes, bones and immune system healthy food. These phytochemicals also operate as antioxidants sweeping up disease-promoting free radicals.

Red

Red foods, such as tomatoes and watermelon, contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help protect against prostate and breast cancers.

So the next time you head to the farmers market, challenge yourself and your taste buds by stepping outside your comfort zone and choose a new vegetable you haven’t tried before, buy a new herb to discover, and select a new fruit to taste and you’ll keep those colorful phytonutrients flowing.