Purple Pros

A new study from the Ohio State University shows purple corn is a powerful weapon in the fight against colon cancer cells; the vegetable's pigment not only completely stopped cancer cells growing, but also killed some 20 per cent of them without affecting healthy cells.

The secret? Anthocyanins that give vegetables and fruits their rich red, purple and blue colours. "Very little anthocyanin is absorbed into the bloodstream," says study leader Dr Monica Giusti, "but a large proportion travels through the gastro-intestinal tract, where those tissues absorb the compound."

Other good sources include blueberries, raspberries, red apples, eggplant, rhubarb, red cabbage and blackcurrants.