Blue and purple vegetables are rare in nature and finding one that is truly blue is really hard. Although there are several veggies that seem to be blue, they are actually shades of purple thanks to the combination of anthocyanins (which are blue) and carotins (which are red).
Not only that, according to experts, the type of color and pigment anthocyanins create depends on their quantity and the pH inside the plant tissue. Luckily, I have discovered quite a list of vegetables that are various shades of blue and purple.
LIST OF BLUE & PURPLE VEGETABLES
# | VEGETABLE | COLOR LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
1. | Purple Cabbage | Inside-Out Blue/Purple |
2. | Potatoes with Purple Flesh | Inside-Out Blue/Purple |
3. | Black Olives | Inside-Out Blue/Purple |
4. | Purple Carrots | Inside-Out Blue/Purple |
5. | Blue Carrots | Inside-Out Blue/Purple |
6. | Black Carrots | Inside-Out Blue/Purple |
7. | Purple Tomatoes | Inside-Out Blue/Purple |
8. | Blueish/Purple Sweet Potato | Inside-Out Blue/Purple |
9. | Blue Corn | Inside-Out Blue/Purple |
10. | Purple Corn | Inside-Out Blue/Purple |
11. | Purple Onions | Inside-Out Blue/Purple |
12. | Adirondack Blue Potato | Inside-Out Blue/Purple |
13. | Blue/Purple Chili Peppers | Outside Blue/Purple |
14. | Black Chili Peppers | Outside Blue/Purple |
15. | Blue/Purple Kale | Outside Blue/Purple |
16. | Blue/Purple Broccoli | Outside Blue/Purple |
17. | Black/Blue Tomatoes | Outside Blue Purple |
18. | Purple Asparagus | Outside Blue/Purple |
19. | Purple Bell Peppers | Outside Blue/Purple |
20. | Black Salsify | Outside Blue/Purple |
21. | Purple Belgian Endive | Outside Blue/Purple |
22. | Eggplant | Outside Blue/Purple |
IMAGE GALLERY OF BLUE & PURPLE VEGETABLES
PURPLE CABBAGE
PURPLE POTATOES
BLACK OLIVES
PURPLE CARROTS
BLACK CARROTS
PURPLE TOMATOES
BLUEISH/PURPLE SWEET POTATO
BLUE CORN
PURPLE CORN
PURPLE ONIONS
ADIRONDACK BLUE POTATO
BLUE/PURPLE CHILI PEPPERS
PURPLE BELL PEPPERS
BLACK CHILI PEPPERS
BLUE/PURPLE KALE
BLUE/PURPLE BROCCOLI
BLACK/BLUE TOMATOES
PURPLE ASPARAGUS
BLACK SALSIFY
BENEFITS OF BLUE & PURPLE VEGETABLES FOR YOUR BODY
Blue and purple vegetables are amazing for your health. Not only are these rich in dietary fiber, they also include various pigments that provide many health benefits as these substances exhibit potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
More precisely, there are several active substances in purple vegetables that promote better health:
- Lutein & Zeaxanthin (carotenoids)
- Anthocyanins
- Vitamin C
- Quercetin
Each one of these substances provides special health benefits for your body and I am going to analyze them in the paragraphs below.
LUTEIN & ZEAXANTHIN (CAROTENOIDS)
Carotenoids, in general, are very potent antioxidants that protect your body from harmful free radicals. Usually, these substances are connected with these benefits:
- Protect your eyes from advanced age-related macular degeneration
- Promote the good health of your bones and teeth
- Prevent formation of urinary stones
- Promote the health of your skin and soft tissue
- Reduce inflammation in your body
- Aid in reproduction and sperm health
As you can see, there are many benefits of carotenoids that are widely available in the veggies you eat.
ANTHOCYANINS
These substances provide several benefits for your body:
- Help fight inflammation
- Help to lower LDL cholesterol (which is the “bad” cholesterol)
- Support eye health, specifically the health of the retina
- Help to boost the immune system
- Act as anticarcinogens (battles cancer-causing cells) especially throughout the digestive tract
- Reduce tumor growth
- Limit the activity of cancer cells throughout the body
- Help to reduce effects of Alzheimer´s disease
- Help protect your liver against alcohol damage
To my surprise, there have been conducted many research studies that have been dealing with anthocyanins. Just a quick online search will provide you with a lot of material to study.
VITAMIN C
Vitamin C is a well-known substance. Vitamin C is a very potent antioxidant that protects your body from harmful free radicals.
Also, it is connected with these benefits:
- Improves iron absorption
- Reduces high blood pressure
- Reduction of high cholesterol
- Promotes function of white blood cells
- Important for the health of your skin, hair, and nails (delays aging process)
- Improves wound healing processes
- Stimulates collagen production
- Helps prevent cancer
- Aids in the treatment of osteoarthritis
- Promotes the health of your eyes
You can find vitamin C mostly in chili peppers, and broccoli. However, you can find it also in red fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, and papaya.
QUERCETIN
Quercetin is another flavonoid hidden inside brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids, in general, have potent antioxidant properties and provide your body with these benefits:
- Help maintain healthy blood pressure
- Reduce risk of developing certain types of cancer
- Initiate apoptosis (cell death) of cancerous cells
- Prevent the release of histamine by your immune system
- Reduce the number of free radicals roaming inside your body
- Have potent anti-inflammatory properties
- Reduce symptoms of arthritis
- Maintain healthy arteries and reduce cholesterol
As you can see, quercetin is a very potent substance that can help your body to function much better. It can be found most commonly in various types of peppers.
