Eat your Colors Everyday Carotenoids Ellagic acid Flavonoids Resveratrol Glucosinolates Phytoestrogens

Why Colors ?? Fast food diets account for most common diseases, including heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes. If you incorporate a rainbow array of colored fruits and vegetables in your diet, then you'll be well on your way to a healthy and nutritious diet. Each color comes with a variety of different nutrients and benefits as they harbor various phytochemical constituents termed “Phytonutrients”

Plan / Strategy Phytonutrients They are natural chemicals obtained from plant foods. To get enough of these vital ingredients, just add a single serving (a piece of fruit, cup of juice, one to two cups of vegetables) from each of these FIVE color families to a balanced diet. fruits and vegetables naturally edge out higher- calorie breads and snacks. You’ll also boost your intake of vitamins, minerals, and fibers.

Red Any tomato-based food is rich in lycopene, a powerful cancer-fighting antioxidant, which makes the Mediterranean diet so healthy. Red grapes are rich in a powerful antioxidant known as resveratrol, which has anti- inflammatory properties and help lower risk for heart disease and cancer. Red colored foods are mainly rich in anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that may cut your risk of heart disease and stroke by inhibiting clot formation.

Role of antioxidants in guarding against cellular damage Free Radical: is an atom, molecule, or ion that has an unpaired electron which makes it highly reactive. Free Radicals are strongly correlated for development of atherosclerosis and heart disease, cataracts, blood vessel damage, inflammatory diseases and arthritis, asthma and even cancer. Role of antioxidants in guarding against cellular damage

Free radicals are natural by-products of ongoing biochemical reactions in the body, including ordinary metabolic processes and immune system responses. Free radicals can cause damage to sensitive and important structures of the cells such as proteins, DNA, and cell membranes by stealing their electrons through a process called oxidation. That is why free radical damage is also called “oxidative damage” and the imbalance they cause is called “oxidative stress”. When free radicals oxidize important components of the cell, those components lose their ability to function normally, and the accumulation of such damage may cause the cell to die.

Red Resveratrol Lycopene https://www.google.com.eg/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiLieXd_P7bAhWEPBQKHZnYCMgQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedirect.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fpii%2FS0278691513004766&psig=AOvVaw3dB1GQ8SPhf88ICfxltyRe&ust=1530570787698953 Resveratrol Lycopene

Flavylium ion or 2-phenylchromenylium Red Six most common anthocyanidins include: pelargonidin, cyanidin, delphinidin, peonidin, petunidin, and malvidin. Flavylium ion or 2-phenylchromenylium Hibiscus sabdariffa Flavone structure (2-phenyl-1,4-benzopyrone)

Resonance structures of anthocyanins. Red Resonance structures of anthocyanins.

RED/PURPLE These pigments are mainly mixtures of lutein, resveratrol, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, vitamin C, ellagic acid, and quercetin derivatives. These phytonutrients lower LDL cholesterol, boost immune system activity, support healthy digestion & maintain retinal integrity They are protective against some cancers, and good for urinary tract health and maintaining memory function. They improve calcium and other mineral absorption, fight inflammation, reduce tumor growth, act as an anti-carcinogens in the digestive tract, and limit the activity of cancer cells.

Flavonoids; (from the Latin word flavus meaning yellow). Quercetin Flavonoids; (from the Latin word flavus meaning yellow). Both flavonoids and anthocyanins possess powerful radical scavenging powers. The color of anthocyanin pigment is dependent on concentration, pH and oxidation state.

Orange/Yellow These pigments are mainly mixtures of beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and vitamin C. These phytonutrients reduce age- related macula (skin discoloration spots) degeneration and the risk of prostate cancer. They lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure. Promotes collagen formation and healthy joints. They fight harmful free radicals and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones. High consumption of specific carotenoids like beta-cryptoxanthin, is accompanied with lower risk for developing inflammatory arthritis

https://www.allaboutvision.com/nutrition/lutein.htm The name Zeaxanthin is derived from Zea mays (common yellow maize corn, in which zeaxanthin provides the primary yellow pigment), plus xanthos, the Greek word for "yellow". Zeaxanthin is one of the most common carotenoid alcohols found in nature. It is synthesized in plants and some micro-organisms, it is the pigment that gives paprika (made from bell peppers)  corn, saffron, and many other plants and microbes their characteristic color. Lutein is isomeric with zeaxanthin, differing only in the placement of one double bond, and both are crucial elements in the xanthophyll cycle. (What is it???)

Green Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, folate, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. The phytonutrients found in these vegetables reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels. Green foods also contain natural chemicals called isothiocyanates, such as sulforaphane, and indoles, all of which stimulate production of cancer-fighting liver enzymes. Green phytonutrients also normalize digestion time, support retinal health and strong vision.

Sulforaphane are organo-sulfur compounds of the isothiocyanate group. They are enriched in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbages. It is produced by the enzymatic action of  myrosinase enzyme  which transforms the glucosinolate glucoraphanin, into sulforaphane upon damage to the plant (such as from chewing), which allows the two compounds to mix and react. Sulforaphane help protect against DNA damage, and is known to inhibit cancers such as prostate, breast, lung, skin and colon. Sulforaphane

White Garlic onion mushroom Contain nutrients such as beta- glucans, Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and lignans that provide powerful immune boosting activity. These phytonutrients activate natural killer B and T cells, reduce the risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers, and balance hormone levels, which reduces the risk of hormone-related cancers. Garlic and onions contain allicin, a tumor fighter. Mushrooms have other disease-battling chemicals. These veggies are rich in flavonoids, which protect against cell damage

Alliin is a sulfoxide which is an important constituent of fresh garlic.  When fresh garlic is chopped or crushed, the enzyme alliinase converts alliin into allicin, which is responsible for the aroma of fresh garlic. Alliin has been found to affect immune responses in blood, besides alliin shows strong antioxidant and hydroxyl radical-scavenging properties. Allicin, released from freshly crushed or chewed garlic has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Consuming allicin on a daily basis helps to lower cholesterol levels, and is said to strengthen the immunity of the body against certain cancers, such as stomach and colorectal cancers.

Thermally Processed Foods

Maillard reaction As long as food has been cooked, Maillard reactions impose dramatic changes on its aroma, taste and color particularly with traditional processing such as roasting of coffee and cocoa beans, baking of bread and cakes, toasting of cereals and the cooking of meat. The Maillard reaction, named after French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard, describes the mechanism and outcomes whenever a reducing sugar condenses with a compound possessing a free amino group to give a N-substituted glycosilamine product. The reaction explains what has long been termed nonenzymatic browning of food Amadori rearrangement ∆ a range of aromas and flavors compounds + - H2O - H2O reducing sugar (glucose, fructose, maltose, lactose) primary amino group (proteins, peptides, amino acids or amines) Glycosylamine (imine)

Maillard reactions result in: Brown pigments, known as melanoidins, which contain variable amounts of nitrogen and have varying molecular weights and solubilities in water. Browning is desired in baking and roasting, but not in foods which have a typical weak or other color of their own (condensed milk, tomato soup). a carbohydrate based melanoidin

Strecker reaction The reactions between -dicarbonyl compounds, obtained by Maillard reaction, and amino acids are classed as Strecker reaction, after the German chemist Adolph Strecker. This reaction leads to the formation of aldehydes (Strecker aldehydes), CO2 and  -aminoketones. Strecker reaction occurs in foods at higher concentrations of free amino acids and under drastic reaction conditions of higher temperatures or under pressure. Degradation products formed during Strecker degradation also influence the aroma of processed food as H2S, NH3, 1-pyrroline and cysteamine. Recently, corresponding Strecker acids have also been identified.

Examples of Strecker degradation aroma compounds + Strecker degradation of cysteine giving thiazole and mercapto- derivatives

General tips to prevent nutrient loss during cooking: When peeling the skin of vegetables peel as thinly as possible. The nutrients in vegetables and fruits are concentrated just below the skin, so peeling before boiling increases the loss of Vitamin C, Folic Acid and other B vitamins. Do not cut vegetables into very small cubes as each small part comes in contact with oxygen, destroying vitamins. Do not soak vegetables in water to prevent discoloration. Almost 40 %  of the water soluble vitamins and minerals are lost in the soaking water.                                                       Root vegetables should be boiled with skins on and then peeled after boiling. This helps the nutrients to migrate to the center of the vegetables, helping better retention of its nutrients. Salads should be prepared just before serving and should be served in closed dishes to avoid excessive exposure to air. Do not keep milk open or exposed to light, as considerable destruction of riboflavin can occur. Baking soda makes cooking water alkaline and thus helps retain the color of vegetables as well as speed up the cooking process, BUT  it destroys thiamin and vitamin C. Cooked vegetables when exposed to the atmosphere before serving may also result in loss of vitamin C. It is preferable to cook vegetables in minimum amount of water keeping the vessel covered and to consume it as soon as possible. Reheating cooked vegetables further destroys vitamins. http://www.nutritionvista.com/NutritionBuzz/preventing-nutrient-loss-during-cooking,236.aspx