What Are Phytochemicals?

Answer:

Phytochemicals — literally, ‘plant chemicals’ — are non-nutritive plant chemicals that have protective or disease preventive properties. They are nonessential nutrients, meaning that they are not required by the human body for sustaining life. It is well-known that plants produce these chemicals to protect themselves but recent research demonstrates that they can also protect humans against diseases.

There are more than thousand known phytochemicals. They include:

• Quercetin from onions reduces inflammation and could help protect us from viruses.
• Lycopene, found in tomatoes, reduces the risk of certain cancers.
• Lutein and zeaxanthin, yellow pigments found in green vegetables, protect against age-related macular degeneration (an eye condition).
• Resveratrol, in red wine, is heart-healthy and may also help protect against some cancers.
• Polyphenol flavonoids found in tea, cocoa and wine can also help make your blood less ‘sticky’, reducing the risk of dangerous clots.
• The phytochemical betacarotene, from fruit and vegetables, can be converted in the body into vitamin A. This conversion is a safer way to get your vitamin A than eating large quantities of vitamin A-rich foods such as liver, or vitamin supplements (which contain ‘pre-formed’ vitamin A). Pre-formed vitamin A can accumulate in the body to harmful levels, but the body can’t store and accumulate betacarotene. It’s only converted as you need it, so you can’t overdose.