The current hot topic for nutritionists and doctors is colour, according to a report in Time magazine this week. Andrea Sachs writes that what's really important in food, say a new group of doctors, is hue. Some medical experts are convinced that the pigments in foods, called phytonutrients, play a key role in preventing disease. The blue in blueberries, they say, may protect the brain, while the orange in carrots may promote heart health. Pale beige carbs such as breads and cookies are, not surprisingly, the weakest link. What's recommended is an array of produce, the more vibrant the better. "Be drawn to brightly coloured fruits and vegetables,"advises Dr. Daniel Nadeau, a professor at Tufts Medical School and co-author of The Color Code: A Revolutionary Eating Plan for Optimum Health, due from Hyperion next March. Dr. David Heber, the founding director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition and author of the just published What Colour Is Your Diet? (HarperCollins), suggests seven servings a day of fruits and vegetables, each from a different colour group. For example, to meet your orange-yellow needs, eat a papaya, nectarine or grapefruit.
