Phytochemicals

Here is a list of some types of phytochemicals, their functions and what foods and spices in which they are found: Carotenoids : Contain antioxidants that can help prevent cancer and heart disease. These antioxidants also are pigments in plants, giving foods such as tomatoes, watermelon and sweet potatoes their bright colors. Found in tomato products, grapefruit, guava and in orange, yellow and green vegetables. Flavonoids : Can help prevent osteoporosis by maintaining bone strength, can enhance estrogen metabolism, which may protect the body from breast cancer, and can reduce menopausal symptoms.

Nothing could be truer than the old saying, "Variety is the spice of life," when it's applied to health and nutrition. Eating a wide variety of foods each day ensures that your body gets the nutrients it needs for optimum health. Now it seems that choosing a variety of fruits and vegetables is more important than ever, as researchers learn more about the potentially powerful substance called phytochemicals. Phytochemicals, which are natural plant compounds that give a fruit or vegetable its color and serve as a natural protectant to the plant, also seem to offer disease protection to those who consume the plants.

The produce aisle in the grocery store is a pharmacy of sorts. Tucked inside the colorful displays of fruits and vegetables are chemicals that research has shown have protective powers. Items in the bread, pasta and ethnic food sections have them, too. [cont. from lifestyle ] The term for these plant-based chemicals is a mouthful - phytochemicals - but they're worth talking about. Their name is derived from the Greek word "phyto," for plant. Phytochemicals act as antioxidants much like Vitamins C and E do, explains Cyndi Thomson, a spokeswoman for American Dietetic Association.

The foods you choose can make a difference in how you look and feel. Whole-grain foods provide you with health-promoting vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent heart disease and some cancers. Whole grains typically offer one and a half to five times the antioxidant value of common fruits and vegetables. Experts recommend you include 6 ounces of grains in your daily diet with half of those being whole-grain foods. Researchers now know that nuts, high in protein and fiber, offer heart-healthy fats, vitamin E, magnesium and copper.

Eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day is a healthy idea. Fruits and vegetables give us important vitamins, minerals and fiber. Vitamins A and C, and the minerals potassium, iron and magnesium are found in many fruits and vegetables. We need these nutrients every day to be healthy. Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily helps make sure that our bodies get what they need. In fact, the National Cancer Institute is now recommending that the best number is seven fruits and veggies a day for women and children and nine a day for men. Every time you eat your 5-A-Day, you're looking out for your future.

The vegetables listed here hold the top positions in the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest's scorecard for vegetables, based on how much they contribute to a person's dietary needs. Each vegetable was allotted points corresponding to the percentage they provide of the U.S. government's recommended daily amounts of fiber and five nutrients - vitamin C, folate, potassium, calcium and iron - and of carotenoids, which convert to vitamin A. While there are many other beneficial things in vegetables, the Center for Science in the Public Interest focused on those seven areas for two reasons.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans - published every 5 years by the U.S. departments of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services - encourage us to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day. At first, this sounds like an impossible goal. But one serving is only about one-half of a cup. Examples of a single serving of fruit include 6 ounces of 100 percent fruit juice, 1/4 cup of dried fruit, one medium-sized piece of fruit, 1/2 cup of sliced fruit, a small banana or 16 seedless grapes.

Just because it's called a "salad" doesn't mean it's good for you. Sure, you can create a healthy meal on your way through the salad bar. But you also can create a nutritional nightmare if you're not careful. cont. from lifestyle The basic standbys at any salad bar - lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower - are loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals (plant chemicals) and fiber. But beware the hidden nutritional traps lurking among these goodies.

You can create a healthful meal on your way through the salad bar. But you also can create a nutritional nightmare if you're not careful. The basic standbys at any salad bar - lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower - are loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals (plant chemicals) and fiber. [cont. from lifestyle ] A four-cup salad bowl filled with a combination of these vegetables weighs in at less than 100 calories, but beware of the hidden nutritional traps lurking among these goodies.

The foods you choose can make a difference in how you look and feel.  Whole-grain foods provide you with health-promoting vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent heart disease and some cancers. Experts recommend making half your grains whole grains every day. Researchers recommend making one-half your plate fruits and vegetables. Fruits, such as blueberries, and vegetables, such as broccoli, offer antioxidants and phytochemicals that reduce the oxidative damage associated with aging, heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

The foods you choose can make a difference in how you look and feel.  Whole-grain foods provide you with health-promoting vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent heart disease and some cancers. Experts recommend making half your grains whole grains every day. Researchers recommend making one-half your plate fruits and vegetables. Fruits, such as blueberries, and vegetables, such as broccoli, offer antioxidants and phytochemicals that reduce the oxidative damage associated with aging, heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

You know that fruits, vegetables, whole grains are good for you, but some foods have been shown to be standouts for lowering problems linked to aging. You might want to include more of these on your shopping list:  "Brainberries": That's the nickname Dr. Barbara Shukitt-Hale and coauthor James A. Joseph, PhD, gave to blueberries and their cousins - such as blackberries, cranberries and strawberries. Berry fruits are rich in antioxidant polyphenolic compounds that protect against the age-related decline of cognitive and motor functions.

The foods you choose can make a difference in how you look and feel. Whole-grain foods provide you with health-promoting vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent heart disease and some cancers. Whole grains typically offer one and a half to five times the antioxidant value of common fruits and vegetables. Experts recommend you include 6 ounces of grains in your daily diet with half of those being whole-grain foods. Researchers now know that nuts, high in protein and fiber, offer heart-healthy fats, vitamin E, magnesium and copper.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans - published every 5 years by the U.S. departments of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services - encourage us to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day. At first, this sounds like an impossible goal. But one serving is only about one-half of a cup. Examples of a single serving of fruit include 6 ounces of 100 percent fruit juice, 1/4 cup of dried fruit, one medium-sized piece of fruit, 1/2 cup of sliced fruit, a small banana or 16 seedless grapes.

January is the month when millions of Americans resolve to get into shape. Gyms and fitness centers are crowded with exercisers - and diet ads flood the media. It's easy to create grandiose resolutions that too often are fleeting. For long-term success, slowly phasing moderate changes into one's current lifestyle might be more beneficial. Here are five suggestions that can easily be incorporated into your dietary plan and are sure to get you started on the road to good health: · Get your five-a-day.

Eating food high in antioxidants helps protect the immune system, the brain's ability to think, and even skin from wrinkling. Antioxidants help prevent heart disease and some cancers. Researchers recommend increasing daily fruit and vegetable consumption to five to nine servings or more. Fruits such as blueberries and vegetables such as broccoli offer antioxidants and phytochemicals that reduce the oxidative damage associated with aging, heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Researchers also are studying the relationship between oxidative damage and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Nothing could be truer than the old saying, "Variety is the spice of life," when it's applied to health and nutrition. Eating a wide variety of foods each day ensures that your body gets the nutrients it needs for optimum health. Now it seems that choosing a variety of fruits and vegetables is more important than ever, as researchers learn more about the potentially powerful substance called phytochemicals. Phytochemicals, which are natural plant compounds that give a fruit or vegetable its color and serve as a natural protectant to the plant, also seem to offer disease protection to those who consume the plants.

What is green and sweet and full of Vitamin C? Kiwi fruit. Fruits are an important part of a nutritious diet. Not only do fruits provide vitamins and minerals that we need every day, they also supply phytochemicals that help to protect us from heart disease, cancer and macular degeneration. The wellness challenge for March is to eat two to four servings of fruits every day. This can be two servings of whole fruits or 1/2 cup servings of canned or frozen fruit. The best way to get the power of produce is to enjoy as many different kinds, and colors of fruits as possible.

Eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day is a healthy idea. Fruits and vegetables give us important vitamins, minerals and fiber. Vitamins A and C, and the minerals potassium, iron and magnesium are found in many fruits and vegetables. We need these nutrients every day to be healthy. Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily helps make sure that our bodies get what they need. In fact, the National Cancer Institute is now recommending that the best number is seven fruits and veggies a day for women and children and nine a day for men. Every time you eat your 5-A-Day, you're looking out for your future.

The vegetables listed here hold the top positions in the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest's scorecard for vegetables, based on how much they contribute to a person's dietary needs. Each vegetable was allotted points corresponding to the percentage they provide of the U.S. government's recommended daily amounts of fiber and five nutrients - vitamin C, folate, potassium, calcium and iron - and of carotenoids, which convert to vitamin A. While there are many other beneficial things in vegetables, the Center for Science in the Public Interest focused on those seven areas for two reasons.