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Bodytalk
Question: What are phytochemicals and why are they so good for us? Compounds help
fight diseasesAnswer: Phytochemicals are bioactive compounds found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.
We already know that these carbohydrate-rich foods are very healthy for us because they're chock full of vitamins and minerals, low in fat, and contain heaps of fiber.
What you may not know is that they also contain some of nature's most powerful disease-fighting agents.
Phytochemicals trigger the body's ability to inhibit certain diseases, and slow the aging process. Several studies show that these compounds help prevent diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and infections.
Hundreds of phytochemicals have been identified. Just one piece of fruit can contain a vast array of them. For example, an orange contains about 170 different phytochemicals.
You can see how it would be next to impossible to keep track of one's daily intake of individual phytochemicals. So trying to isolate a phytochemical and take it as a supplement would not be useful. But by eating a variety of plant carbohydrates and legumes daily, you enhance your chances of consuming enough of these substances to reap their full benefits.
That said, let's now look at specific categories of phytochemicals that we should all try to include in our diets.
Let's start with alliums, which are found in onions, garlic, scallions and leeks. Allium compounds appear to help protect us from stomach and colon cancers.
How it works exactly is still open to some debate, but researchers believe that allium's antibacterial properties neutralize helicobacter pylori, the bacteria associated with increased stomach cancer risk.
Phytoestrogens, including isoflavones and lignans, are found in soybeans and soy products, berries and whole grains. These substances appear to offer protection against breast and uterine cancers and cardiovascular disease.
Lignans, abundant in flaxseed, help protect against breast, endometrium and prostate cancers.
Please note that while phytoestrogens may help protect against breast cancer in women who are cancer free, women with a history of breast cancer should know that because phytoestrogens mimic the effects of natural estrogen, these substances also may stimulate existing cancers to grow.
Flavonoids, including quercetin and rutin, are next. These compounds belong to an even larger family of phytochemicals called phenols.
They are found in most fruits, vegetables, nuts, coffee and tea. They are powerful antioxidants, which employ a variety of mechanisms to inhibit and block cancer cell growth.
Flavonoids also inhibit the formation of blood clots, they prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and they exhibit anti-inflammatory and antiviral abilities.
The last family of phytochemicals we'll look at are the glucosinolates, including indols. They're found in large quantities in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. They're believed to inhibit cancer by blocking carcinogens from reaching cells and by stimulating the production of cancer-producing enzymes.
Contrary to what high protein advocates believe, plant carbohydrates, and the abundance of disease-fighting agents that they contain, should be the mainstay of everyone's diet.
Health Events
Stephenie Karony is a certified health
and fitness instructor, a personal trainer and the author of
"Body Shaping with Free Weights." Send questions to her at
P.O. Box 262, Wailuku Hi. Her column appears on Wednesdays.