The fruits and vegetables we eat often come in distinctive colors. The rich colors, 16 , are not there only to attract attention. They perform another important function for the plants.
Research shows that the substances 17 these colors actually protect plants from chemical damage. The colors come mainly from chemicals known as antioxidants. Plants make antioxidants to protect themselves from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light, 18 may cause harmful elements to form within the plant cells.
When we eat colorful fruits and vegetables, the coloring chemicals protect us, too. Typically, an intensely colored plant has 19 of these protective chemicals than a paler one does. Research on how chemicals in blueberries affect brain function even suggests that these chemicals may help our own brains work more 20 . In other words, eating richly colored fruits and vegetables makes us both healthier and smarter.
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