Orange, Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Orange, Don’t Worry, Be Happy

The Color Orange

find it interesting that in the early 1500s, linguists believe people generally referred to orange as “yellow–red,” which we all know are the two colors combined to create the color. The combination of colors in the orange color brings the shared energy of red and the happiness of yellow.

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Orange is a fun color but communicates an interesting contradiction of two opposing ideas—activity and caution. Those into essential oils use the orange scent to lift the spirit because it radiates warmth and energy creating an atmosphere of happiness. Take a look at some other ways this color plays out in our lives:

• Orange can encourage our attitude.

• Sports teams use it to motivate energy and activity.

• Restaurants use it for attention grabbing ability it promotes appetite. In addition, they use pastel versions of orange to promote conversation and a good time while they eat and drink more.

• Highways decorate the roadways with traffic cones and zone markers as a symbol of safety caution.

• Orange is emotionally stimulating and used for social communication.

• Orange means “high” in the color-coded threat system as potential danger

As we can see, there is usually a strong positive “love it” or strong negative “hate it” association in whatever circumstances it is used in. Let’s take a look now at how the color orange has the ability to bring happiness physiologically.

“Love it” (happiness in action)

• Orange is an anti-inflammatory (happiness in action) tissue building, tissue repair, immune system development. Additionally, the health benefits of Orange Essential Oil can be attributed to its properties like anti-depressant, anti spasmodic, anti septic.

• Orange increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite.

• The vitality of the orange color is reflected in the Vitamin C rich orange bell peppers and oranges. All orange fruit and vegetables are rich in beta-carotene and other anti-oxidants. The orange hue is the antioxidant beta-carotene, a cell-protecting antioxidant, which also helps support healthy skin (fortifies elasticity), hair and vision.

High-antioxidant foods behave like self-sacrificing soldiers to “calm the fires” in our immune system. Cellular damage (an internal rusting of tissues) occurs when these soldiers lose control.

Orange foods contain the following nutrients:

• Two carotenoids: Alpha-carotene and beta-carotene

• Zeaxanthin – a carotenoid present in the retina of the eye

• Flavonoids – Latin word flavus meaning yellow, their natural color.

• Lycopene – a red carotenoid pigment

• Potassium – is chemically very similar to sodium, ionic salts providing electric energy. It is one of the important electrolytes important for our health. It is also important for pH regulation

• Vitamin C – also known as ascorbic acid and Lascorbic acid. It is an essential nutrient involved in the repair of tissue and the enzymatic production of certain neurotransmitters. It is required for the functioning of several enzymes and is important for immune system function. It also functions as an antioxidant.

The phytochemical responsible for the orange color in fruits and vegetables are Carotenoids. The name beta-carotene is derived from the Latin name for ‘carrot’. Like lycopene, orange caratonoids act as antioxidants, neutralizing harmful free radicals that can cause cancer, heart disease and other age related diseases. Darker oranges offer a sense of comfort; some are spicy, some are earthy. Lighter oranges are soothing and healthy.

Carotene is a pigment that absorbs violet and blue-green light (see spectrum orange graph) that provides rich yellows and oranges. Carotenoids are yellow, orange, and red pigments synthesized by plants. Depending on the carotenoid pigment density at the center of the eye’s retina, 90% of blue light can be absorbed and protects the eye from oxidative damage. Carotenoids improve visual function through stimulating neuronal signaling efficiency in the eye. Alpha and beta carotene are two carotenoids that can be converted into Vitamin A inside the body, especially healthy vision.

Vitamin A is also needed for several important roles in the body, which include bone and cell growth, and reproduction.

Carotenoids can facilitate communication between neighboring cells. This type of intercellular communication is important for maintaining cells in a state where they are changing their specialize functions. This differentiation of cells leads to a decrease in cell division. Cell’s have a complex communication system and Carotenoids facilitate this communication between cells by increasing the expression of the gene encoding a type of protein.

Because beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A by the body, it is called a provitamin A compound. Vitamin A is a 40% fat-soluble vitamin. This means that your body can convert beta-carotene into retinol given you eat the food with a small amount of healthy unrefined fat like organic butter or unrefined olive or coconut oil”.

A cellular hearing aid

Even though Beta-carotene isn’t a first-line antioxidant, it has other remarkable properties.

• It stimulates enzymes to repair damaged DNA.

• It doesn’t discriminately activate all enzymes.

• It inhibits the rate limiting enzymes and cholesterol synthesis. That’s why it can help reduce cholesterol.

• It stifles malignancies. Cells sometimes become alarmed by abnormal replication in a neighboring cell and sends an urgent message to stop dividing. Betacarotene aids cellular “hearing” by switching on a gene that produces tiny entrances into the cells for smaller messengers from neighboring cells. Larger messengers are not allowed in. They have special receptors on the cell surface today dock in.

Alpha-carotene, related to beta-carotene, is 10 times more effective at stopping proliferation of human cancer cells and beta-carotene.

There are between 40-50 carotenoid chemical structures present in our diets that can be absorbed, metabolized, or used by our body. How much of the color orange is in your dietary lifestyle.

Vitamin C

One of the very important role of vitamin C is its antioxidant activity. Vitamin C acts on the central nervous system function, stimulates the function of the endocrine glands, enhances liver function, enables the adoption of iron in the intestine and participates in building the blood and collagen. The biological life of vitamin C is fairly short, in blood plasma, so regular consumption of this Vitamin is essential.

Flavanoids/Flavanone

Flavonoids are a diverse group of plant chemicals called phytonutrients. They are a large class of plant pigments (natural color). They are compounds found in almost all fruits and vegetables. They are associated with many health benefits seen listed below.

Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants have the ability to influence a number of cells communicating with signals (cells-signaling) to coordinate their behavior to benefit an anti-inflammatory response and encourage the immune system. Dietary flavonoids, terpenoids and apigenin possess antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, and antioxidant (sun-protective) properties. So if you have a diet rich in these orange foods you are in “love it” category. You are encouraging prevention of cancer, neurodegenerative, and cardiovascular diseases. However, there is more to learn about how the flavonoids themselves are responsible.

Why are these pigments good for you?

It’s not only the pigments for instance in carrots that fight disease compounds impart flavor. Not only does this produce a pleasant taste for humans, they fight fungi and tumors as well. The above mentioned plant pigments are responsible for the orange color that help repair, prevent, heal a number of conditions:

• repair DNA

• protecting against infections

• building the immune system

• lowers your chance of getting cancer

• keeps your heart healthy

• helps prevent heart disease

• strengthen our vision promoting night vision and reduces age-related macular degeneration. 50

• good night vision is attributed to Vitamin A.

• stimulates the lungs, the respiration, the digestion.

• increases the activity of the thyroid and the amount of mothers milk,

• promotes collagen growth

• reliefs muscle cramps and spasms.

Top 10 highest foods with beta-carotene: You can find beta-carotene in bright red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables such as:

1. sweet potatoes (11509mcg/100g)

2. melons (11883mcg/100g)

3. carrots-cooked (8332mcg/100g)

4. dark leafy greens (6288mcg/100g)

5. green leaf lettuce (5226mcg/100g)

6. butternut squash (4570mcg/100g)

7. apricots (4558mcg/100g)

8. grapefruit (3450mcg/100g)

9. cantaloupe (2020mcg/100g)

10. Red Bell Pepper (1624mcg/100g)

Tying it all together: Orange creates the feelings of warmth, comfort, happiness, and peace. If you want to be emotionally encouraged and happy, physically energetic, behaviorally pleasant and social, be the “Happy” encourager for someone else begin by eating the orange foods that build up and stimulate that healthy overall feeling.

Biblically, the orange is the color of praise, warfare, passion. The fire of God

“…I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire… this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord…”

Ezekial 1:27,28

Let the joy of the Lord be your strength. Find the recipe: Tropical Pineapple Mango Salsa

NOTE:

1) Vitamin A can become toxic because it can be stored in fat cells. These usually occur when taking artificial supplements. Getting too much Vitamin A from your diet is more difficult. So don’t limit your foods.

2) Fat-soluble Vitamins need fat to be assimilated for our body to use.

If you appreciated this information, please let me know and share it with others.

1. FA Manual page 49

2. Food Network

3. Linus Pauling Institute

4. http://www.colormatters.com/the-meanings-of-colors/ orange