Phytonutrients

Unlocking the Power of Plant-Based Superfoods for Vibrant Health and Disease Prevention

Phytonutrients, also known as phytochemicals or plant nutrients, are naturally occurring substances found in plants. They help protect the plant from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, disease and fungus. In addition, they form the plant’s immune system.

These naturally occurring substances give fruits, vegetables and herbs their colours. Moreover, these same substances are beneficial for human health and have antioxidant activity.

Benefits of phytonutrients

Health professionals have urged us to increase our daily fresh fruits and vegetable consumption for many years. There is an abundance of nutrients found in plant foods, and this is why people who eat a whole food plant-based diet generally come out the healthiest.

“Why should we eat plant foods? Because that’s where the nutrition is.” - Robert Pritikin

Many of these phytochemicals have potential nutritional benefits that can improve the quality of our health and can protect us against many diet-related diseases. These include antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity and the ability to enhance our body’s natural detoxification system.

Protecting our health has never been easier. All we have to do is take advantage of these powerful health-promoting phytochemicals. We can include many plant foods in our diet full of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables.

Types of phytonutrients

There are many types of phytonutrients. Some of the best-known ones are carotenoids, flavonoids and sulphur compounds.

Carotenoids

Carotenoids are a group of yellow, orange, red and green plant pigments with powerful antioxidant activity. Green leafy vegetables are also high in carotenoids.

These antioxidants are fat-soluble, meaning they cannot easily be absorbed unless there are some healthy fats in the diet. The best-known carotenoids are alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin.

Research suggests that carotenoids offer many health benefits, such as reducing the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. They may also help enhance the immune system and protect the body from eye, skin, liver and lung damage.

Flavonoids

Flavonoids are a large group of water-soluble antioxidants with red, blue, and purple pigments. Studies have shown that some flavonoids have more antioxidant activity than vitamins C and E.

The main subclasses of flavonoids include catechins, flavonols, flavanones, flavones and isoflavones. These flavonoids have anti-cancer properties and help to keep blood vessels healthy.

Isoflavones are found in soybeans and other legumes. In the body, they are converted into phytoestrogens (plant estrogens). Research suggests that these hormone-like compounds may have cancer-fighting properties. They may also help protect against heart disease by helping to lower cholesterol levels.

Isoflavones can be beneficial for women’s health and possibly help reduce some of the symptoms of menopause that women suffer from, especially in western society.

Sulphur Compounds

The groups of sulphur compounds are the allium and brassicas vegetables.

Allium vegetables include garlic, leeks, onions and shallots. These vegetables also contain flavonoids, vitamin C and selenium. They have been shown to have cancer-fighting properties and benefit cardiovascular health.

Brassica vegetables include bok choy (Chinese cabbage), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and watercress. These groups of vegetables also contain flavonoids and vitamin C. They have been found to help protect against many forms of cancer.

Sulphur compounds are also found in grains, wheat germ, oatmeal, and fruits like figs, plantain, papaya, and pineapple.

Foods containing phytonutrients

Fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and culinary herbs are foods containing phytonutrients.

I have included fruits and vegetables in my diet since I was a child. Since I can remember, my mother has always used various herbs in her cooking. So when I first learned about phytonutrients, I was fascinated by how essential and beneficial fruits and vegetables are to our health.

The colour of fruits and vegetables can guide you to the phytonutrient content. The more colourful a fruit or vegetable is, the higher its phytonutrient content, especially if they are coloured all the way through (like berries), not just on the skin (like apples). With green leafy vegetables, the darker, the better. For example, spinach would have a higher phytonutrient content than iceberg lettuce.

Different coloured fruits and vegetables have different kinds of phytonutrients. So it’s essential to have a variety of colours in your diet to reap the health benefits of all the different phytonutrients.

Below are the different coloured groups of fruits and vegetables, or click on this Fruits and vegetables infographic from Precision Nutrition that shows you how much of each phytonutrient you need to be healthy.

Red

This group includes tomatoes (raw and cooked), red peppers, watermelon and pink grapefruit.

These contain lycopene which is part of the carotenoids group of phytonutrients. Lycopene has been found to help protect against prostate and other forms of cancer. Research has shown that prostate cancer is less common in Mediterranean countries, like Italy, because of the high consumption of tomato-based foods in their diet. One of my favourite dishes is a plate of pasta with a rich, vibrant red Napoletana sauce.

It is interesting to know that lycopene is more available in cooked tomato products like pasta sauces, tomato soup, and tomato juice than in raw tomatoes.

Red/purple

This group includes beets, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, cranberry juice, eggplant, grapes, grape juice, plums, prunes, red apple, red cabbage, red wine and strawberries.

These fruits and vegetables contain anthocyanins, part of the flavonoids group of phytonutrients. These powerful phytonutrients are said to be beneficial to cardiovascular health.

Orange/yellow

This group includes apricots, carrots (raw and cooked), mangos, nectarine, orange, papaya, peach, pineapple, pumpkin, rockmelon (cantaloupe), sweet potato, squash, tangerine and yellow grapefruit.

These contain alpha and beta-carotenes, part of the carotenoids group of phytonutrients. These powerful phytonutrients may help protect against certain cancers and heart disease and may help to enhance the immune system.

Yellow/green

This group includes avocado, collard greens, corn, cucumber, green beans, green peas, green peppers, honeydew melon, kiwifruit, mustard greens, lettuce, spinach, turnip greens, yellow peppers and zucchini.

These foods contain lutein and zeaxanthin. These have been identified as the most effective carotenoids for eye health. In addition, they are associated with lower incidences of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Green

This group includes bok choy (Chinese cabbage), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Swiss chard and watercress.

These contain sulphur compounds which have been shown to have cancer-fighting properties.

White/green

This group includes artichokes, asparagus, celery, chives, endive, garlic, leeks, mushrooms, onions, shallots and white wine.

This group also contains sulphur compounds and is a good source of flavonoids.

References: