Phytochemical

Phytochemicals are plant derived chemical compounds under scientific research for their potential health promoting properties, but with unproved benefits. Phytonutrients refer to plant derived essential nutrients scientifically confirmed as important to human health.

There is evidence from laboratory studies that phytochemcials in fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of cancer, possibly due to dietary fibers, polyphenol antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects.

An important cancer drug, Taxol, is a phytochemical initially extracted and purified from the Pacific yew tree.

Phytochemicals in freshly plant foods may be destroyed or removed by modern processing techniques, possibly including cooking. For this reason, industrially processed foods likely contain fewer phytochemicals and may thus be less beneficial than unprocessed foods. Interestingly, a converse example exists in which lycopene, a phytochemical present in tomatoes, is concentrated in processed foods and make the processed version of the tomatoes better sources of lycopene than fresh tomatoes.

The following are foods high in phytonutrients:-

Soy, Tomato, Broccoli, Garlic, Flax seeds and oil seeds, Citrus fruits, Blueberries, Sweet potatoes, Chilli peppers & Legumes (beans, peas and lentils)