Spotlight On: Here Phyto - Phytonutrients

[Guest guest]

Spotlight On: Here Phyto - Phytonutrients

 

----------

----

 

Cancer, heart disease, alzheimer's, osteoporosis, macular degeneration,

multiple sclerosis, arthritis and more degenerative dis-eases may plague the

middle-aged and elderly only because the so called " Experts " did not

recognize the value of phytonutrients. So the " Establishment " aka

" Traditional " aka " Allopathic " aka " Western style " health professionals did

not believe there was any benefit to them, and pooh-poohed them to their

patients, and in modern medical texts and publications.

 

Though they have been around since the dawn of mankind, scientific research

did not start on them until around two decades ago (1980's). Of course they

were not always called phytonutrients, but the word does have it's origins

from a long, long, long time ago. In fact it can be traced back to early

Greek Civilization. You see the word phyto comes from the Greek phyton for

" plant " , we all know what a nutrient is. " Phytonutrient " simply means a

" nutrient from a plant. "

 

This is interesting because The Mediterranean diet has a lot of

phytonutrients in it. Items like olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, onions,

fruits, whole grains, olive oil, bulgur, rice vegetables, legumes such as

chick peas, yogurt, and nuts.

 

Once upon (a time a short while ago), it was thought by many so called

nutrition experts that fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals

were the only nutrients necessary for growth and health. Now, we know

there's another group of nutrients necessary for our optimal health, well

being, quality of life, longevity and reduction of risks of diseases related

to aging. These nutrients are of course called, say it with me now - Phyto -

Nutrients. With enough understanding of how they work, and the optimum

amount necessary, hopefully some day cancers, heart disease, alzheimer's,

cataracts, maculardegeneration and many more dis-eases will be relegated to

the dustbin of history like scurvy and pellagra.

 

Today, researchers are more busy than ever performing scientific studies

uncovering a host of beneficial compounds in plant foods.

 

So, What Are PhytoNutrients?

 

Basically, the phytonutrients are what gives fruits and vegetables their

color. This means you want to eat as many different colored fruits and

vegetables as you can. Ah, a veritable rainbow of color.

 

Some phytonutrients are also found in beans, seeds, and nuts. For example,

it has been shown that the isoflavones in soy products may reduce the risk

of heart disease, osteoporosis, and several types of cancer. Certain

flavonoids in blueberries may actually reverse nerve cell aging. And a wide

array of compounds in fruits and vegetables may protect cells against

oxidative damage as well as vitamins C or E.

 

Some of the common classes of phytonutrients include:

 

Carotenoids

 

 

 

Flavonoids (Polyphenols) including Isoflavones (Phytoestrogens)

 

 

Inositol Phosphates (Phytates)

 

 

Lignans (Phytoestrogens)

 

 

Isothiocyanates and Indoles

 

 

Phenols and Cyclic Compounds

 

 

Saponins

 

 

Sulfides and Thiols

 

 

Terpenes

 

 

I know, you are thinking " It all sounds Greek to me. " Here come the

explanations.

 

Fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and teas are rich sources of

phytonutrients.

 

Some examples include:

 

Carotenoids - the red, orange and yellow pigments in fruits and vegetables.

 

They are things like:

 

 

 

alpha-carotene (found in carrots)

 

 

beta-carotene ( found in leafy green and yellow vegetables )

 

 

beta-cryptoxanthin (found in citrus, peaches, apricots )

 

 

lutein (leafy greens such as kale, spinach, turnip greens )

 

 

lycopene (tomato products, pink grapefruit, watermelon, guava)

 

 

zeaxanthin (green vegetables, eggs, citrus )

 

 

Polyphenols

 

Food sources rich in polyphenols include onion, apple, tea, red wine, red

grapes, grape juice, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries,

and certain nuts.

 

Why Are Phytonutrients Important?

 

Phytonutrients protect against disease in the following way's Phytonutrients

are believed to:

 

 

 

serve as antioxidants

 

 

enhance immune response

 

 

enhance cell-to-cell communication

 

 

alter estrogen metabolism

 

 

convert to vitamin A (beta-carotene is metabolized to vitamin A)

 

 

cause cancer cells to die (apoptosis)

 

 

repair DNA damage caused by smoking and other toxic exposures

 

 

detoxify carcinogens through the activation of the cytocrome P450 and Phase

II enzyme systems

 

 

Carotenoids are Protective

 

Fruit and vegetable consumption has been linked to decreased risk of

stroke -- both hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. Each increment of three

daily servings of fruits and vegetables equated to a 22% decrease in risk of

stroke, including transient ischemic attack

 

There was a study of elderly men. In that study, elderly men whose intake of

dark green and deep yellow vegetables was in the top group had about a 46%

decrease in risk of heart disease relative to men who ranked in the lowest

consumption. Additionally, men in the highest consumption group had about a

70% lower risk of cancer than did their counterparts in the lowest

consumption group.

 

Consumption of tomato products has been linked to decreased risk of prostate

cancer.

 

In a study (Seddon et al. Journal of the American Medical Association.

1994;272:1413)., People in the highest fifth for consumption of spinach or

collard greens, plants high in the carotenoid lutein, had a 46% decrease in

risk of age-related macular degeneration compared to those in the lowest

fifth who consumed these vegetables less than once per month.

 

Polyphenols are Protective

 

Flavonoid consumption has been linked to lower risk of heart disease in

scientific studies.

 

In a study, elderly Dutch men in the highest percentage of flavonoid intake

had a risk of heart disease that was about 58% lower than those in the

lowest percentage of intake. Those in the lowest percentage consumed 19 mg

or less of flavonoids per day, while those in the highest percentage

consumed approximately 30 mg per day or more.

 

In yet another study a group of adults in Finland was divided into four

groups. Finnish subjects in the top 25% of flavonoid intake had a risk of

mortality from heart disease that was about 27% (for women) and 33% (for

men) lower than that of those in the lowest 25%.

 

Almost daily now there is new scientific evidence reported that eating

fruits and vegetables protects human health. It is accumulating from large

population (epidemiological) studies, human feeding studies, and cell

culture studies.

 

Population studies have linked fruit and vegetable consumption with lowering

the risk for chronic diseases including specific cancers and heart disease.

 

So if you really want to reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease is to

increase consumption of phytonutrient-rich foods including fruits,

vegetables, grains and teas.Add to that supplements. Life BaseT

http://emperorsherbologist.com/life_base.php is an excellent choice, rich in

phytonutrients, and whole food along with essential minerals and vitamins.

 

To sum up, Phytonutrients protect your body, fight disease, and fight aging.

They help the cells repair themselves. They will help to defend your body

against degenerative diseases like: multiple sclerosis and arthritis as well

as diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease, and many more. Eat your

fruits and veges.

 

It's for your own good.

 

 

 

###

 

 

 

 

 

----------

----

 

Resource Box

By Allen Weber Copyright July 23, 2003 newsletter Emperor's Herbologist Live

Healthy! bi-weekly guide to living healthy in modern times. Featuring

articles on alternative medicine, diet, herbs, supplements, foods,

traditional cures and techniques you can use to give you more control over

your health and well being. Subscribe today at:

http://www.emperorsherbologist.com/newsletter.shtml

 

 

----------

----

 

Permission is granted to reprint the following article on your web site, or

ezine/newsletter, or print magazine/newsletter as long as the byline,

copyright information, and the resource box is included and no changes are

made with the exception of formatting. If published in your ezine, it must

be opt in only. No spam ezines purchased lists may use this article.

 

A copy of the ezine magazine and/or URL of the web site where it is

published will be greatly appreciated. If published on a web site, there

must be a link back to http://www.emperorsherbologist.com/newsletter.shtml

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

DietaryTipsForHBP

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest