A Little Heat and a Lot of Color Make For Good Veggies

[Guest guest]

UCLA Conference Introduces Food Color Wheel and

'Pre-Prepared' Foods Approach

To Help Americans Increase Intake of Fruits

& Vegetables

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading

scientists participating in a

UCLA conference on The Impact of Colorful Fruits and

Vegetables on Health, say

a little heat and a lot of color may be just what

people need to reap the

healthy benefits of over 25,000 different

phytochemicals associated with

disease prevention.

At the conference, scientists unveiled the Color

Wheel of Health, a new

approach to healthy eating based on consuming a

diversity of fruits and

vegetables. The new dietary recommendations reflect

research showing the link

between powerful phytochemicals that give fruits and

vegetables their color

and a reduced risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease,

age-related blindness

and even Alzheimer's disease. Scientists also

presented research showing that

the heating and steaming many people assume destroys

heath benefits of fruits

and vegetables may in fact, actually free

phytochemicals from structures in

the plant cell and increase the availability of these

substances to the body.

Statistics show that only 9% of American children

ages 6 to 11 and only

20% of adults get the five or more servings of fruits

and vegetables per day

recommended by the National Cancer Institute(1).

Experts agree that since

cancer risks build up over a lifetime, early and

regular consumption of fruits

and vegetables may have the potential to significantly

impact long-term

health.

" An easy way for children and adults to select

healthy fruits and

vegetables is by their colors " says Heber,

M.D., Ph.D., Director of the

UCLA Center for Human Nutrition and organizer of the

conference. " We know

that the many DNA-protective phytonutrients in seven

different color groups of

fruits and vegetables eaten each day can reduce the

risk of cancer and other

common illnesses. Additional good news is that these

nutrients may be even

more available in foods like pre-prepared soups, pasta

sauces and other

staples of a busy family's diet. "

The Color Wheel of Health was adapted from a new

book entitled " What Color

Is Your Diet? " (Harper , 2001) by Dr.

Heber and Bowerman

M.S., R.D. of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, in

which the scientific

basis for the links between colors and health is

developed. The conference at

UCLA emphasizes the science behind this approach by

bringing together leading

nutrition scientists from the National Cancer

Institute and leading

universities including UCLA, Tufts University, Ohio

State University,

University of Washington, University of North

Carolina, and Rutgers

University. They discussed the increasing volume of

emerging science on the

roles of phytochemicals from colorful fruits and

vegetables in disease

prevention.

The color-wheel approach to healthy eating advises

the intake of seven

color groups of fruits and vegetables ranging from the

familiar red of

tomatoes and watermelons to the more exotic yellow

green of avocados and

turnip greens. Other color groups incorporated in the

Color Wheel of Health

include: green (broccoli, Brussels sprouts); orange

(carrots, pumpkins);

orange/yellow (papaya, pineapple, citrus fruits);

white/green (garlic, onion,

chives) and red/purple (cranberries, blueberries,

strawberries).

The conference covers emerging research that links

diets rich in certain

types of vegetables and fruits to specific disease

risk reduction.

Specifically, research discussed the links between the

phytochemicals found in

tomatoes and tomato-rich products and a reduced

incidence of prostate and lung

cancer; between blueberries and improved memory; and

between spinach, kale and

avocados and protection against cataracts and macular

degeneration.

The news comes as kids head back to school and

family focus turns from

picnics and casual dining to more hearty and

well-balanced mealtimes.

Leading scientists discussed how people who neglect

their daily intake of

colorful fruits and vegetables may be setting

themselves up for increased risk

for a number of diseases later in life.

" While it seems overwhelming to include all seven

colors everyday, simple

recipes and use of 'pre-prepared' family-friendly

foods such as soups, juices,

and pasta sauces makes it easy for parents to improve

the health value of the

meals, " explains Bowerman.

She prepared and displayed examples of fruits and

vegetables from each of

the seven color groups along with a few colorful

dishes suitable for family

dining. The dishes incorporated a variety of fresh

and pre-prepared foods,

including soup and pre-washed and bagged salad greens.

" Supermarkets today

stock plenty of fresh produce and healthy convenience

items, " says Bowerman.

" Parents should not think that eating healthier will

mean a greater investment

of time and energy in preparing family meals. "

The conference was made possible by an

unrestricted educational grant from

's Soup Company. Other support was provided

by Dole Food Company,

Inc., Ocean Spray, Inc. and The California Avocado

Commission. The scientific

conference is an activity of the UCLA Clinical

Nutrition Research Unit, funded

by the National Cancer Institute (Grant No. CA 42710).

Co-sponsoring

organizations include the American Institute for

Cancer Research, CapCure (the

Association for the Cure of Prostate Cancer), and the

Produce for Better

Health Foundation.

(1) Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

1999. 99: 93-101.

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