The Role of Phytochemicals to Top Notch Health

By Anika Logan

If you have never heard of phytochemicals then you are not going to want to miss a thing that is said here. A phytochemical is defined as, “a natural bioactive compound found in plant foods that works with nutrients and dietary fiber to protect against disease.” Sometimes called phytonutrients, phytochemicals are found naturally in a number of different fruits and vegetables. Sometimes looked at in the most general terms as possible, phytochemicals are nutrients or chemicals that come from any number of plant sources. Phytochemicals are sometimes deemed as vitamins of the future.

Researchers have long been aware that plants are composed of phytochemicals but only recently has it been discovered that these chemicals can play an integral role in protecting the human body from a variety of different diseases. There are believed to be 900 to thousands of phytochemicals in existence. Phytochemicals found in fruits, vegetables as well as nuts have been shown to be instrumental in slowing the progress of aging as well as decreasing the risk of diseases such as Cancer, osteoporosis, cataracts, Heart disease, high Blood pressure, Stroke, and Urinary Tract Infections. Studies are ongoing to discover what other diseases phytochemicals can help fight.

Phytochemicals are pronounced “fight-o-chemicals” and they are able to protect health on many different levels. Phytochemicals have antioxidant properties, they help to support the work of the immune system, they have both antibacterial as well as antiviral properties, and they modulate both the metabolism of hormones as well as the detoxification of enzymes.

The root “phyto” comes from a Greek word that stands for plants and phytochemicals in general are connected to the pigments that are found in plants. With this said, it is the fruits and vegetables that are made up of the most vibrant and intense colors that contain the highest amount of phytochemicals as well as nutrients. These colors include red, green, blue orange, purples and yellow.

In order to get as many phytochemicals and nutrients as possible into your system on a daily basis you need to eat five to nine servings of vegetables and fruits on a daily basis as well as consuming soy, nuts and as many whole grain products as possible. Remember that the more colourful fruits and veggies you choose, the better it is for your overall health.

Foods Rich in Phytochemicals

The top ten foods that are richest in phytonutrients include soy, tomato, Broccoli, garlic, Flax seeds, Citrus fruits, blueberries, sweet potatoes, chilli peppers and legumes which include beans, lentils and peas. Let us take a look at the phytochemicals that are contained in each one of these foods.

Soy contains beta sitosterol, protease inhibitors, phytic Acid, isoflavones, and saponins while tomatoes contain lycopene, beta carotene and plenty of vitamin C. Broccoli is also full of vitamin C as well as lignans, indole-3-carbinol and sulphoraphane. Garlic contains limonene, thiosulphonates and quercitin while Flax seeds are rich in lignans. Citrus fruits are full of phytonutrients including coumarin, cryptoxanthin, ferulic Acid, vitamin C, monoterpenes and oxalic Acid. Blueberries contain tannic Acid as well as lignans and anthocyanins while sweet potatoes are choked full of beta carotene. Chilli peppers are full of Capsaicin while legumes are rich in omega fatty acids, lignans, lutein, saponins, catechins and quercitin.

The list above highlights the top ten phytochemical rich foods but there are plenty of others as well. Apples for example contain quercitin, tartaric Acid and catechins while artichokes contain ferulic Acid, caffeic Acid and silymarin. Brassicates such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale and cauliflower contain lutein while carrots contain a fair share of beta carotene. Cocoa is full of epicatechin and flavonoids while cranberries are rich in anthocyanins and ellagic Acid. Other foods that are very high in a number of different phytochemicals include dried apricots, eggplant, pink grapefruit, red grapes and red wine, Tea/" title="Green Tea">Green Tea, mangos, mangosteen, a variety of nuts and seeds, okra, Onions, papaya, pomegranate, pumpkin, sesame, shiitake mushrooms, spinach, squash and watermelon.

Cancer Prevention

More and more and more research into Cancer is yielding the result that approximately two-thirds of all cancers can be prevented by making changes in one’s lifestyle such as eating healthier, exercising on a regular basis and finding ways to relax the body and mind. Diet alone is believed to be to blame for one-third of all cancers thanks to the standard American diet which consists of a great deal of saturated fats with very little fiber. Increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables has been shown to be instrumental in decreasing the development of many different kinds of cancers.

The American Cancer Society has developed some valuable guidelines for the fight against Cancer as well as for improved nutrition. The guidelines are very similar, but not identical to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These guidelines are as follows:

-Make sure that the majority of foods you consume are from plant and not animal sources.

-Reduce the amount of foods you eat that are high in fat content, especially when it comes to animal products such as pork or beef.

-Keep as physically active as you possibly can. This goes a long way in achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight.

-If you drink alcohol, cut back on your alcohol consumption and if you do not drink then don’t start now.

To learn more about phytochemicals visit these websites-

http://www.phytochemicals.info/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytochemical

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5050.html