Shoppers urged to eat their purples

Purple is the new 'green' that could provide the backbone of a healthy diet but shoppers remain unaware of the blackcurrant’s benefit, according to new research.

Despite being backed by singer Mariah Carey, who reportedly only eats purple foods, few Britons are aware the soft fruit’s potential for preventing cancer and alleviating the symptoms of asthma.

Scientists have found British blackcurrants contain high levels of anthocyanins that guard against joint inflammation, eye strain, kidney stones, cardiovascular disease and a host of other conditions, yet despite the staggering benefits of eating purple fruit most shoppers still believe 'greens' are the healthy option.

A recent survey undertaken by the Blackcurrant Foundation, which set out to uncover the ‘coloured’ eating habits of the UK population has revealed that over half of all Britons (53 per cent) consider ‘green’ foods to be the healthiest colour in their diet, when in fact ‘purple’ contains a whole host of naturally beneficial components to help the body fight off an array of diseases.

While a third of UK adults were aware that purple foods were significantly healthier than other colours, a mere 14 per cent of the people surveyed, identified purple as being beneficial to health compared to 53 per cent for green and 24 per cent for red.

Half of the 2,000 respondents interviewed, admitted to consuming green food on a daily basis believing it to be good for them, compared to an alarming eight per cent who make it their mission to “get their purple”.

Some 60 per cent of respondents said that they never consider the colour of their trolley to be important and would never think to link colour to the health benefits of food.

Jo Hilditch, chairperson of the Blackcurrant Foundation, said: “Whilst we knew that many people were unaware of the benefits of eating and drinking a colourful diet, these results are still staggering. It is promising to see that so many people are eating green fruits and vegetables, however consumers need to make sure they are getting a full variety of colour. Incorporating more purple foods and drinks such as blackcurrants or blackcurrant juice will certainly help to create a varied diet whilst simultaneously providing a range of health benefits.”