Blue, purple and black foods are less commonly found but are rich in antioxidants and often contain memory and brain protective compounds.
Blue, purple and black compounds are found in foods like acai, blueberries, blackberries, figs, eggplants, black tea, purple rice, purple sweet potatoes, purple sweet potatoes, purple cabbage, prunes and more.
Nutritional Uses:
- Blueberries, plums and prunes are high in phenol compounds like chlorogenic acid that may be protective of brain health
- In a study that looked at mild cognitive impairment and improvements with blueberries- 12 weeks of blueberry juice showed improvements in several markers of brain function.
- Aging & Brain Health: A 6-year study in over 16,000 older individuals found that blueberries and strawberries were linked to delays in mental aging by up to 2.5 years
Plant Compounds in Blue/Purple/Black Foods: Anthocyanins, Flavinoids, Flavanols (quercetin, kaempferol), proanthocyanidins, resveratrol
Try it out: Blue & Purple Smoothie
Add in a mix of blueberries, blackberries and a plum (if in season, or raspberries if not) – I like to mix these with soy milk and it adds a nice creamy taste.