I'm willing to bet you probably haven't heard the word 'phytochemicals' before. But you've been eating them your whole life and they are vitally important to your life and well-being. They are one of the keys to real health.
So, what are they? Phytochemicals are biologically active substances in food. They have health enhancing abilities and possibly curative abilities. They number in the hundreds in most plant foods. They are found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains.
Phytochemicals work together with nutrients to promote health and prevent disease. When you eat some broccoli or a tomato, you get all of these phytochemicals. So, can't you just take a supplement? You could, but first of all, scientists have isolated only a few of the phytochemicals in foods. But these work best in combination, so taking just one, isolated phytochemical is not anywhere near as effective.
For example, let's look at lycopene. It is found in tomatoes and is an antioxidant. Antioxidants are a large and important subject, but for now, let's just simplify and say that antioxidants help to repair cellular damage.
Scientists did studies and found that tomatoes had a noticeable effect against prostate cancer. They analyzed the tomato and isolated lycopene. Then the scientists did more studies, using lycopene. The effect on prostate cancer was much less. Does this mean that lycopene doesn't work?
No, it means that it works best in combination with all the other phytochemicals in tomatoes, and the nutrients. You don't get that from a chemically identical, but lab-created, lycopene.
Eating a tomato is good for you, of course. But eating all the tomatoes you would need to get what you need from them would be quite a task. So, a whole foods powder that I use, Berry Greens, offers freeze dried tomatoes, in a form that retains the nutrients. And a whole lot of other vegetables and fruits as well. You get all the benefits of eating all those fruits and vegetables, without having to consume all that food.
Most foods have not been analyzed and even those that have been, scientists have only been able to isolate a few of the phytochemicals. Most vegetables have hundreds of phytochemicals, and it's not likely they will all be isolated, analyzed and understood any time soon. We do know now, though, that they do work together to provide real health for us.
Barbara Pfieffer writes about gaining real health on her blog, real health. She has resources on what supplements really work, the differences among carbohydrates and other information to bring you to real health.
It is often taken as a given fact that soy... Read More
How did we cure ourselves of many aches pains and... Read More
For some people it is really hard to give up... Read More
Omega-3 appear to reduce the risk of heart attack. A... Read More
1880s - Characterization of monosaccharides by Emil Fischer.1952 - Fresh,... Read More
Come on, guys and gals. Those Trix are for kids.And... Read More
You can start today - right now, even - on... Read More
Arthritis - if you suffer from this illness, I don't... Read More
The most dreaded word in many dieter's vocabulary is 'fat'.... Read More
The ingredients list found on the back or side panel... Read More
Information on potassiumWhen you read about potassium and senate document... Read More
The latest tallies show that over three million people in... Read More
While oxygen is the key to human survival, it is... Read More
Fat is a nutrient that is a contributor to the... Read More
Many people complain that organic foods are more costly than... Read More
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in... Read More
Enzymes are the workers in our body that make everything... Read More
During the Second World War, the Germans used fluoride as... Read More
In the brain, a typical protein can live for approximately... Read More
They're not only good for you, but they taste good,... Read More
It is amazing to be able to say I am... Read More
How To Have A Healthy ThanksgivingEnd of the year holidays... Read More
This is such a busy time of year, isn't it?... Read More
Originally, all foods were "organic" ? grown and prepared without... Read More
This is usually the forgotten element of most mass programs.... Read More
Copyright ? 2004 priya shah Glutathione, the body's... Read More
A frequent misunderstanding about macrobiotics is that it is a... Read More
Having a large amount of such "visceral fat" is associated... Read More
Most of us eat at restaurants for a variety of... Read More
In a study review conducted by David A. Geier, B.A.... Read More
Water is a vitally important component of any valuable and... Read More
Today, more than ever, consumers over the age of 50... Read More
Nutrition has everything to do with health. This isn't news,... Read More
For some people it is really hard to give up... Read More
It's 5:30 p.m. and you're heading home after a long,... Read More
You can trust me that I make sure to take... Read More
Having a personal wellness program has become a concern for... Read More
Endurance Sports are like music concerts. They start at a... Read More
First of all you have to have a bucket. You... Read More
If you are like most people, you've tried dieting before.... Read More
To research the health risks Sweet 'N Low and other... Read More
Several years ago, Marilyn M. couldn't even spell fibromyalgia.Now she... Read More
Every day we are bombarded with information about food products... Read More
THE RISKThe primary symptom of acid reflux is obvious to... Read More
With the release of the new dietary guidelines, in the... Read More
Salt was used long before recorded history began. One of... Read More
THE RISKWhen you consume food that's high in acid or... Read More
White-spotted or yellow splotched teeth may reveal more than needed... Read More
Following a diet program of any sort can sometimes be... Read More
With so much 'diet advice' around today it is little... Read More
Nutrition |