Johns Hopkins Health Alert
Phytochemicals: Essential to Good Health
Fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods are packed with healthy compounds known as phytochemicals, in addition to vitamins, minerals, and fiber. From anthocyanins (the red pigment in strawberries and cherries) to allylic sulfides (responsible for the pungent flavor of garlic and onions), these phytochemicals may be responsible for some of the disease-preventing effects of fruits and vegetables.
Phytochemicals have no nutritive value -- that is, they are not vitamins or minerals -- but they may have positive effects on the body over the long term. Possible beneficial effects include inhibiting tumor formation, preventing blood clots, blocking the cancer-promoting effect of certain hormones, and lowering cholesterol levels.
Follow these tips to increase the phytochemicals in your diet.
- Consume a plant-based diet. Try to eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day (including 3 cups of legumes a week) and six servings of grain products each day. Vary the choices to get a wide range of phytochemicals, focusing on dark green vegetables, red and orange fruits and vegetables, and whole grains.
- Season foods with herbs and spices. These seasonings also contain phytochemicals. Try using garlic, shallots, ginger, basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, cumin, curry powder, cayenne pepper, red chili pepper, and cinnamon, to name a few.
- Incorporate soy products into your diet. Tofu, soy protein, soymilk, soy flour, soy butter, and edamame (edible green soybeans) can all be included in your diet as long as you have not been advised to avoid them. Tofu and other soy products are mild tasting and pick up the flavor of the foods they are cooked with. Tofu can be stir-fried with vegetables or added to soups. Soy flour can be substituted for up to one quarter of the flour in baking recipes, and soy butter can be spread on bread in place of peanut butter.
Posted in Nutrition and Weight Control on September 23, 2009
Reviewed January 2011
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
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“Being overweight sucked, but after reading your book, I lost 85 pounds! Words can’t express how good I feel!“ This is a comment which I recently received about the book Lose Weight Using Four Easy Steps which can be ordered through www.bbotw.com
Posted by: Todd29 | January 1, 2010 1:55 PM
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This is the first Step for Cancer Recovering. This is the first part of three in my prescriptions. Patients who follow it have 80% of Cancer Recovering.
Also is so important that the patient eats a lot of green leaves, like lettuce, spinach, etc
Posted by: Alvizouri | September 27, 2009 6:05 AM