Why Your Skin Loves the Colour Purple!

There was a time when your local greengrocer's shop was hefty with the colour green (the clue is in the name, I suppose!) but no more... they are now a riot of colour and have you noticed how purple is making a rather large statement?

Berries, plums, black grapes, red cabbage, red onions etc have had a seat at our tables for decades but what about purple potatoes, purple carrots, purple cauliflower, purple-sprouting broccoli, purple asparagus and a number of other fruits and vegetables that appear to have had a bit of a blue rinse?

It's all about a type of plant chemical in the flavonoid group called anthocyanin (an-tho-si-a-nin) being highly-researched in past years and discovered to have hugely-protective properties against those pesky free radicals (unstable molecules that damage cells and contribute to ageing and disease). Blueberries were first to earn themselves the now-perhaps-overused title of superfood but nevertheless, they certainly showed themselves to be a worthy addition to our diet and research continued to focus on more dark red and purple foods.

Blue corn is said to be the richest source of these anthocyanins and if you have been to Mexico you will likely have seen it regularly featured on menus as it is liberally used in traditional Mexican food (the story goes that tribes in the Southwestern United States were using it in cooking as far back as 1540 so it's certainly nothing new and they knew nothing about 'the power of purple'!) However, you have to seek it out in other parts of the world and whilst blue corn tortilla chips are readily available and are certainly a better choice than the plain variety, it can't be said to be a splendid excuse to hoover down a bag or two - rather too many calories and salt!

Why are these plant chemicals good for your skin? Principally, the role they play in the protection of our capillaries, the vast and extremely delicate network of tiny blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients to skin tissues and remove waste, allowing them to repair and renew. Anthocyanins also assist in collagen formation and stability and help protect us against the damaging effects of too much sun - particularly on the face.

So while you continue to use purple fruits and berries for snacks, in juices and smoothies, in salads and in your Fresh Fruit with Crunchy Yoghurt (see my recipe), keep an eagle eye out for purple vegetables - the green varieties already provide a fabulous array of vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals but the purple lot have a wee extra something!

You have likely noticed aubergine (eggplant), that beautiful, shiny purple vegetable often features in my recipes (love it!) Try my Aubergine Curry with Meat, Poultry, Fish or Tofu recipe. Instead of using white cauliflower for the 'cauliflower rice', I occasionally opt for the purple variety - and it looks and tastes great!