Phytochemicals are defined as non-nutritive chemicals found in plants. This doesn’t mean that all phytochemicals are bad, quite the opposite. Health Benefits 1. Phytochemicals make headlines every once in a while. The term phytochemicals (phyto = plant) refers to a specific category of non-nutrient substances in plant foods that are associated with positive health effects. These chemicals help protect plants from germs, fungi, bugs, and other threats. List of phytochemicals in food. The presence of certain types of phytochemicals in some plants can act as a natural defence system providing protection against such things as attack from insects and grazing animals. Phytochemicals are chemicals produced by plants that have beneficial properties.
List of Phytochemical Foods. While there is ample evidence to indicate the health benefits of diets rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts, no specific food has been acknowledged by scientists and government regulatory authorities as providing a health benefit.
Some phytochemicals offer incredible health benefits. When we assessed the results, we found that our predictions cover many results which were reported in previous work. Nutrition & Dietetics. Finally, we inferred the health effects of 591 phytochemicals for 3832 phenotypes based on the integrated analysis of the molecular network, chemical properties and ethnopharmacological evidence. Phytochemicals are defined as bioactive nutrient plant chemicals in fruits, vegetables, grains, and other plant foods that may provide desirable health benefits beyond basic nutrition to reduce the risk of major chronic diseases (Liu, 2004). Home » Blog Posts » Nutrition » Phytochemicals: Why you should eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Definition of Phytochemicals. As well as these pleasant attributes, they protect us from environmental and ingested carcinogens by arming antioxidant enzymes and enhancing DNA repair pathways. These are called phytonutrients or phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are, as the name suggests, all chemicals found in plants. Reduce Blood Pressure and Increase Vessel Dilation. Phytochemicals inhibit cancer in multiple ways. However, they are best consumed as nutrient-rich foods. Still others help prevent plaque build-up in the arteries. Jennifer Hanes MS, RDN, LD. For example, some phytonutrients protect plants from … There are four main categories of phytochemicals: carotenoids, flavonoids, ellagic acid, and allium compounds: Carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein protect fat cells, blood, and other bodily fluids from free radicals. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a diet rich in phytonutrients from fruits and vegetables, along with low-fat dairy foods and reduced saturated fat can substantially lower blood pressure.Authors concluded that such a diet offers an additional nutritional approach to preventing …