Phytochemicals. What are they? They are the name of the game in clean eating. “phyto” means plants, and “chemicals” refers to the compounds in these plants. Plants use phytochemicals to defend themselves against environmental threats and disease.
Phytochemicals are loaded with antioxidants, which provide us health benefits, while reversing damages we have incurred. Antioxidants are like our shield and armor against disease. Research suggests the more antioxidant-rich foods we eat, the more health benefits we see.
- Plant-based foods high in flavonoids can reduce mortality rates by 25%
- Phytochemicals inhibit early signs of cancer (cell proliferation and angiogenesis -growth of new blood vessels)
- Phytochemicals regulate nitric oxide – relaxing blood vessels & increasing flow
Some of the phytochemicals I talk about are listed below with their benefits:
- Carotenes (carrots, dark leafy greens, beans):Offer free radical protection.
- Curcumin (turmeric, mustard):Blocks carcinogens, induces programmed cell death in cancer cells and protects against DNA damage.
- Isoflavones (organic soy, peanuts, chickpeas, alfalfa sprouts) :Increase blood vessel dilation and reduce symptoms of menopause.
- Saponins (organic soy, beans, lentils, corn, alfalfa):Interfere with cell replication, including cancer cells.
Phytochemicals “fight, fight, fight” cancer. You can find them in all plants: fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, beans, lentils, grains. If it was once a plant, it has phytochemicals. No wonder we are supposed to have 5-9 servings a day from our fruit & vegetable and our bread & cereal food groups!
You don’t have to keep track of what food has what, simply eat a “rainbow” of color every day. Red beets, Orange carrots, Yellow squash, Greens, Blue eggplant, and Violet blueberries; and don’t forget to keep switching it up so you are nourished with many different phytochemicals. Let your food do your “phyt-ing” for you.
