10 Unbelievable Health Benefits Of Purple Vegetables

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Mother nature works her wonders through the colours she puts in everything we see around us. From majestic rainbows to beautiful flowers, life in colours looks unbelievably beautiful to our eyes. These colours not only amaze our eyes, but every colour signifies the richness of a particular thing, especially in vegetables. Every pigment in the vegetables shows the abundance of nutrients the vegetable embodies, and purple vegetables are no exception.

The purple colour symbolises royalty and richness, and no wonder the purple veggies are so rich in essential nutrients. From purple eggplants to purple cabbage, the purple vegetables list contains a wide range of vegetables that are part of people’s diets worldwide. But why do people eat them? What are the health benefits of purple vegetables? Here are ten incredible health benefits of purple vegetables that everyone should know.

1. An Abundant Source of Antioxidants

Anthocyanins are the natural colour pigments in the plants that give these veggies their purple colour. This purple colour not only makes your meal colourful, but these purple vegetables are like the power packs loaded with nutrients like antioxidants. Anthocyanins, a type of phytonutrients, help the human body fight free radicals that can harm your body. Anthocyanins, along with flavonoids, help fight the harmful bacteria that can cause various health conditions, from obesity to stomach ulcers and cancer.

2. Reduced Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is the human body’s way of healing itself by fighting off the things that harm it, such as injuries, toxins, and infection. If it helps to protect the human body, why reduce it? The problem lies in chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation can last for a more extended period of months and even years, negatively impacting your tissues and organs. It can also play a significant role in diabetes, allergies, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, cancer, and asthma. Purple vegetables help to reduce inflammation reducing the possibilities of these diseases.

3. Reduced Risk of Heart Diseases

The purple pigment in these vegetables contains flavonoids and resveratrol that helps to reduce blood pressure. Thanks to resveratrol, your heart functions better as it helps relax the arterial walls and decreases artery pressure. All of this helps in better blood circulation and improved heart function.

The polyphenols in the purple veggies also help to reduce inflammation in the body. A 2012 study on Anthocyaninspublished in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women with more anthocyanin intake showed lesser symptoms of arterial stiffness and central blood pressure.

4. Minimised Stomach Ulcers

Researchers believe that the antioxidants present in blackberries can prevent oxidation and encourage other essential antioxidants such as glutathione which already exists in the human body. The researchers found that anthocyanins in blackberries lowered stomach ulcer formations in rats. That’s why consuming purple vegetables can reduce stomach ulcers and reduce the chances of cancer cell growth.

5. No More Urinary Tract Infections

Veggies like purple cauliflower, purple cabbage, and purple carrots have anthocyanin, which is also present in cranberries. Cranberries are known for fighting urinary tract infections thanks to the antioxidants present in them. The anthocyanin compounds fight the bacteria responsible for urinary tract infection and keep them at bay.

6. Improved Cognition and Brain Function

The polyphenols in purple vegetables are known for improving brain functions and cognition. They are full of antioxidants known for protecting the brain and nervous system from oxidative damage and inflammation. Anthocyanins can cross the blood-brain barrier and encourage brain cell functions.

The purple vegetables contain nutrients known for improving cognitive health and mood. Blueberries and purple kale are food items from the purple vegetables list that is good for brain health.

7. Reduce Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress can lead to inflammation and play an essential role in the human body’s aging process and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

When the number of free radicals surpasses the number of antioxidants in the body, oxidative stress occurs. Free radicals are unpaired electrons. They cause harm to other cells when they are unpaired.

These unpaired electrons travel around the body in the search for an electron to pair. A lot of damage to the cells occurs due to this search which is called oxidative stress. Antioxidants pair up with these unpaired electrons/free radicals and reduce oxidative stress.

8. Slowed Aging Process

Purple vegetables embody nutrients like anthocyanins that are antioxidants that fight free radicals. They help to remove toxins, improve memory, and aid with healthy aging. Purple carrots are famous for their ability to reduce macular degeneration and encourage fertility and weight loss. All these beneficial properties help to maintain healthier skin and promote healthy aging.

9. Rich in Vitamins

Purple vegetables like eggplants, purple cabbage, and figs are full of minerals, vitamins, and dietary fibre. They are also said to exhibit the potential to reduce cholesterol to keep your heart healthy. Some purple vegetables also help in managing weight.

Blackberries contain loads of potent polyphenol antioxidants, fibre, and micronutrients, including vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, and potassium. All of these nutrients are essential for healthy body functions. That’s why purple vegetables need to be included in the diet to stay healthy and keep diseases away.

10. Cancer-Fighting Abilities

As mentioned earlier, purple vegetables such as purple potatoes have anthocyanins that belong to the flavonoid group of phytochemicals. Anthocyanins found in vegetables, flowers, and fruits give them their purple, red and blue hues.

They not only fill your plate with colours, but the flavonoids in them help to fight cancer at its roots. The starch found in purple potatoes plays a vital role in the cancer fight.

The human body needs a variety of healthy nutrients to function correctly and steer safe from diseases. All kinds of vegetables embody some sort of nutrients to improve bodily functions. Purple vegetables are packed with essential nutrients like anthocyanins, flavonols, vitamins, and fibre to fight various diseases, improve memory and cognitive functions, encourage healthy aging and fight neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Active inclusion of purple vegetables in the diet will give you health benefits no less than a miracle. These ten health benefits will surely encourage you to purchase or grow your purple vegetables for sure.