What are phytonutrients?

One of the most potent components of food that effects gene expression on the molecular level is phytonutrients.

What is a phytonutrients? Phytonutrients, also called phytochemicals, are organic component of plants and promote optimal human health.  Technically there are including carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fiber.

People who eat more fruits and vegetables have about one-half the risk of cancer mortality than those people who are not plant eaters.

Plant-sourced diets are very high in phytonutrients, which include a variety of antioxidants, carotenes, vitamin E, vitamin C, phenolic compounds and terpenoids.

Some phytonutrients, such as the lycopene that makes tomatoes crimsons and watermelon bright pink, are pigments that provide plants with their bright hue; other have less obvious functions, such as defending plants against pesky germs, which may translate into protecting humans form cell damage.

In general, phytonutrients enhance immunity and cellular communications, alter estrogen metabolism, metabolize other nutrients, help ward off allergic response, fight cancer and serve as antioxidants and repair DNA damage from toxins like smoking.
What are phytonutrients?

Antioxidant compounds in fruits

Fruits and vegetables have historically been considered rich sources of some essential dietary micronutrients and fiber, and more recently they have been recognized as important sources of natural antioxidants and contain thousands of phytonutrients.

There are many biologically plausible reasons for this potentially protective association, including the fact that many of the phytochemicals act as antioxidants. Fruits contain many diverse antioxidants.

The main antioxidants in fruits are vitamin C, which is colorless and the carotenoid and flavonoids families of antioxidants that provide fruits with their orange, yellow, pink, red and purple colors.

Daily consumption of fruits increased the oxygen radical absorption capacity of blood, indicating superior antioxidant defense of the body.

Many epidemiological studies show lower risk of various diseases in those who have a plant rich diet or who have higher levels of plant-derived antioxidants in their plasma.

The eating pattern, food composition and matrix and colonic microflora and biotransformation affect the bioaccessibility of dietary antioxidants.
Antioxidant compounds in fruits