Spotlight On: Here Phyto - Phytonutrients

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Spotlight On: Here Phyto - Phytonutrients

 

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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 Base™

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.

 

 

 

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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

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