Last Updated: February 23, 2023, 16:39 IST
Red, orange, blue, and purple-coloured fruits and vegetables contain an antioxidant called anthocyanin.
Unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle is responsible for diabetes.
Diabetes is a chronic condition impacting people worldwide. It increases the risk of diseases related to the kidneys, liver, heart and eyes. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports, around 422 million people in the world are suffering from diabetes. Every year, about 15 lakh people die directly or indirectly because of diabetes. It is a matter of bigger concern for India because the country has a maximum of 80 million people suffering from diabetes. According to the statistics of WHO, by the year 2045, 13.5 crore people will be diabetic in India.
Unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle are responsible for diabetes. Many ayurvedic treatments are said to treat this condition. The practice of Ayurveda involves a tradition, where medicinal components are extracted from herbs and plants. Now, this is also being proved by science. According to a recent study, it was found that red and purple-coloured vegetables have the ability to reduce blood sugar levels.
What does the research say?
The Indian Express quoted a recent study from Finland, which claimed that red, orange, blue, and purple-coloured fruits and vegetables contain an antioxidant called anthocyanin, which makes glucose and metabolism faster in the body. That is, when the amount of sugar in the blood increases, these antioxidants destroy it. Anthocyanins are commonly present in some vegetables, fruits, and tubers. According to the study, purple and red-coloured vegetables like brinjal and beetroot have anti-diabetic properties. These vegetables boost glucose and lipid metabolism and are also helpful in reducing swelling in the body. Consumption of these healthy vegetables increases the number of good bacteria in the intestine, which improves overall health.
What do the doctors say?
Speaking about the same to The Indian Express, Dr Anoop Mishra (Chairman, Fortis – Center of Excellence for Diabetes Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology) said that this study has proved the importance of colour in food. Adding to this, he further said that the risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes and fatty liver can be reduced by including colourful vegetables and fruits in your daily diet. The benefits of colourful fruits and vegetables are not only limited to reducing blood sugar, but they can also control blood pressure.
