We’re told that we should eat the rainbow, choosing a diet filled with a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables. These nutrient-dense foods contain a range of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. But while we understand that phytochemicals keep us healthy, we might not understand why.
Phytochemicals, also called phytonutrients, are substances found in fruits, vegetables, and grains that are part of a plant’s immune system, meant to keep it healthy and free of disease. And by keeping the plants healthy, they also serve to keep the person eating them healthy.
“Phytochemicals, which are found in the colorful parts of fruits and vegetables, are basically a plant’s defense system to protect them from oxidative damage. They also play that role in humans,” says Rachel E. Scherr, a dietitian and lecturer at San Francisco State University.
The reason it’s important to eat the rainbow is because each color of fruit and vegetable contains a different variety of phytochemicals, and to consume a wide variety of disease-fighting compounds, you need to eat a variety of plants.
