The color purple is popular with religious organizations and there is a movie entitled “The Color Purple” with Oprah Winfrey.
AARP (American Association for Retired Persons) writer Kim Hayes submitted the following article regarding purple superfoods such as cauliflower which provides key vitamins for a diet.
Hayes wrote: “The late musical artist Prince would be proud, as his favorite color can be an indicator that you are eating foods with a powerful punch of health benefits.
“Purple fruits and vegetables are rich in anthocyanins, which are natural plant pigments that provide foods with their unique color, registered dietitian Katherine Brooking writes for WebMD. Studies have shown that anthocyanins may benefit brain health, help to lower inflammation, and fight cancer and heart disease.
“In addition to anthocyanins, purple produce offers other key vitamins and nutrients. Here are a few purple powerhouses that nutritionists recommend adding to your dinner plate.
“Purple cauliflower: Cauliflower has powerful cancer-fighting properties, and the purple variety is an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, potassium and B vitamins.
“Purple asparagus: This is similar in taste to white and green asparagus, but is loaded with vitamin C, according to Brooking. The purple variety contains two primary anthocyanins and has strong antioxidant scores.
“Concord grapes: Concord grapes have thick, deep, purple skin and crunchy seeds that are rich in anthocyanins. They contain manganese, vitamin K, potassium, certain B vitamins and vitamin C.
“Purple potatoes: Research shows that purple potatoes have two to four times the antioxidants of their white counterparts, Brooking wrote. “One study found that people who ate two servings of purple potatoes daily lowered their diastolic blood pressure by 4.3% and the systolic pressure decreased by 3.5% without gaining any weight.”
“Eggplant: Eggplant is a low-calorie treat that has over a dozen kinds of antioxidants, registered dietician Cynthia Sass wrote for Shape.com. She notes that in a study of animals, their cholesterol levels dropped after being fed eggplant juice.
“Plums: This juicy snack is a great source of vitamins A and C that support your immune system. Dried plums, or prunes, are full of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium, Hayes wrote.
“Learn about health discoveries, explore brain games and read great articles in the ‘Your Health’ Newsletter American Cancer Society recommends eating fruits and vegetables of different colors—yellow, orange, blue, red and purple. Generally, the more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the more nutrients it contains along with cancer-fighting properties, antioxidants. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture, purple foods contain important nutrients called anthocyanins, which are responsible for the purple, blue, and red colors of some fruits. As an antioxidant, anthocyanin protects against cell damage from free radicals.
“Fruits: Purple grapes, figs, passion fruit, raisins, plums and dried plums are popular purple fruits.
“Purple grapes, figs, passion fruit, raisins, plums, and dried plums are popular purple fruits, but many berries–blackberries, blueberries, elderberries, cranberries, chokeberries, and bilberries, count as purple foods. These foods are some of the richest sources of anthocyanins. Blue and red fruits like concord grapes, cherries and pomegranates are considered part of the range of colors included in the family of purple foods and are rich in disease-fighting anthocyanins.
“Vegetables: Purple-fleshed potatoes are colorful variations of familiar vegetables.
“Eggplant is the most familiar purple vegetable, but there are many others. Purple carrots, purple cabbage, purple asparagus and purple-fleshed potatoes are colorful variations of familiar vegetables. Choices include purple Belgian endive, purple peppers, purple olives and purple asparagus. According to Janet Helm with the Chicago Tribune, local farmers’ markets or specialty catalogs are good places to find purple foods like purple onions and purple kale.
“Legumes and grains: Purple pod pole greens have a vivid purple color that is lost in the cooking process.
“Purple pod pole greens have a vivid purple color that is lost in the cooking process known as royal burgundy and royalty purple, the purple pods turn green when cooked.
“Purple grains include purple rice and purple wheat, which is native to East Africa and is used in breads and baked goods. Purple corn, which is common in Peru and a rich source of six anthocyanin antioxidants, is used to make purple corn flour,” Hayes wrote.