Color is so predominant in our everyday lives we take it for granted. It plays a part in fruit growing. Without a change in color, we wouldn't realize when our fruits are ready to harvest.
Color plays a role in our selection of fruits. Lots of people think apples should be red. They wouldn't touch a green variety of apple.
Color even influences our perception of flavors. In a study, some people were blindfolded and given different flavors of jello. Without seeing the color, they couldn't tell one flavor from another.
Color affects our perception of fragrance. A study at the University of Oxford found this was true. The participants were exposed to certain fragrances and certain colors. The researchers used MRI to check brain activity during the experiment. When the fragrance was matched to the appropriate color (for example yellow to lemon), there was more brain activity in the area that processes odors than when the fragrance was given alone. When mismatched aromas and colors were presented, there was less brain activity. This shows how colors can influence our perceptions of smells.
Color is our ally. Eat a colorful diet, that's the latest dietary advice. Fruits come in many health-giving colors, like reds, blues, purples, and deep oranges.
Deep orange tones indicate the fruit is high in beta-carotene, one of the antioxidants.
Sometimes the colors in a fruit may come from plant dyes called anthocyanins, which give fall foliage their rich tones. Anthocyanins also have antioxidant qualities.
When fruits ripen, they usually change color. In many cases, they change from green to red, blue, or purple.
Think of fruit color as a signal. To us a red light means stop, but in the case of a red berry it means go. The plant is signaling to animals that the fruits are ready to eat. By this means, the plant gets its seeds dispersed by foraging animals. Take the kakapos as an example. These endangered birds in New Zealand can feed their babies as many as 4000 rimu nuts in a single night. Some migrating birds get their energy from sugar-rich berries. The seeds go through their digestive tracts, and are deposited wherever they fly. That's why I keep finding new poison ivy plants in my yard every year. They drop the seeds as they fly over or when they sit in my bushes.
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