Effects of interventions with different-Colored vegetables and fruits on the antioxidative status of healthy women

We investigated the effects of interventions with diffeient-colored vegetables and fruits on women's antioxidative status. Twenty-eight healthy women were recruited and asked to consume a tour-staye diet. Paiticipants received five servings of green-white ( GW diet i vegetables and fruits as a control diet in stages 1 and 3, and then received three servings of red-purple ( RP diet ; or orange-yellow • OY diet i vegetables and fruits, respectively, plus two servings of GW vegetables as the rest diet in stages 2 and 4. We analyzed food samples in each stage of the diet for antioxidative compounds and total antioxidative capacity. At the baseline and after the intervention periods, blood samples were analyzed for changes in percentages of antioxidative compounds, total antioxidative capacity, and an oxidative stress index. Results showed that fruits in the GW and OY diets had higher amounts of vitamin C; the RP diet had the highest amount of polyphenols and anthocyanins. The percent plasma vitamin C concentration Significantly increased with the GW-I diet; anthocyanins and the antioxidative capacity significantly increased with the RP diet. In addition, plasma polyphenol and vitamin C contents were positively associated with the plasma total antioxidative capacity, but negatively associated with plasma protein carbonyl. These results suggest that consuming more GW and OY fruits can provide more vitamin C, but consuming more RP vegetables and fruits can provide more polyphenols and anthocyanins, and polyphenols are better able to enhance the body's total antioxidative capacity.