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Phytochemicals; Another Good Reason to Eat 5-9 Servings
a Day of Fruits & Vegetables
A phytochemical is a natural bioactive compound found in plant
foods that works with nutrients and dietary fiber to protect against
disease. Research suggests that phytochemicals, working together
with nutrients found in fruits, vegetables and nuts, may help slow
the aging process and reduce the risk of many diseases, including
cancer, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cataracts,
osteoporosis, and urinary tract infections.
Pronounced "fight-o-chemicals," phytochemicals fight to protect your health.
They can have complementary and overlapping mechanisms of action in the
body, including antioxidant effects, modulation of detoxification enzymes,
stimulation of the immune system, modulation of hormone metabolism, and
antibacterial and antiviral effect.
"Phyto" is a Greek word that means plant and phytochemicals are
usually related to plant pigments. So, fruits and vegetables that are
bright colors — yellow, orange, red, green, blue, and purple —
generally contain the most phytochemicals and the most nutrients.
You can benefit from all of the phytochemicals and nutrients found in plant
foods by eating 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and eating more
whole grains, soy and nuts.
More than 900 different phytochemicals have been found in
plant foods and more will be discovered. These protective
plant compounds are an emerging area of nutrition and health,
with new research reported everyday.
Remember, to get your Phytos eat 5-9 servings of colorful
fruits and vegetables every day!
The following charts provide a description of the most well researched
phytochemicals and some of the fruits and vegetables they are found in.
Complete phytochemical analysis has not been done on most fruits and
vegetables. USDA will conduct phytochemical analysis on approximately 100
of the most frequently eaten fruits and vegetables during 2000-2001. Our
charts will be updated as more phytochemical research becomes available.
Current research suggests that most fruits and vegetables contain
phytochemicals and that many fruits and vegetables contain a wide variety of
phytochemicals.
This content comes from www.dole5aday.com and is being used with permission from Dole Food Company, Inc. For
more information, visit www.dole5aday.com.
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