Phytochemicals
What are Phytochemicals and how they can benefit us? Phytochemicals are natural compounds found in plants (Phyto means “plant” in Greek), that are responsible for the color, taste and aroma of foods. Furthermore, they protect us from environmental and ingested carcinogens by arming antioxidant enzymes and enhancing DNA repair pathways. They also have direct effects on the fundamental hallmarks of cancer progression and metastasis. That is because the World Cancer Research Fund and other academic bodies report that people who eat phytochemical-rich foods have a lower risk of cancer or relapse after treatments.
Phytochemicals are found in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. It is thought that there are thousands of different phytochemicals, and scientists are just starting to discover the different roles these substances may play. However, we’re learning that in addition to the roles they play in plants, they may also have health benefits for us when we eat them.
The main phytochemical components, present in medicinal plants are tannins, alkaloids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, steroids, phlobatannins, anthraquinones, and reducing sugars, but there are three major groups of phytochemicals are:
1) Polyphenols
1-1) Flavonoids:
- Flavonols: quercetin, kaempferol (onions, kale, leeks, broccoli, buckwheat, red grapes, tea, apples)
- Flavones: apigenin, luteolin (celery, herbs, parsley, chamomile, rooibos tea, capsicum pepper)
- Isoflavones: genistein, daidzein, glycitein (soya, beans, chickpeas, alfalfa, peanuts)
- Flavanones: naringenin, hesperitin (citrus fruit)
- Anthocyanidins (red grapes, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, tea)
- Flavan-3-ols (tannins): catechins, epicatechin, epigallocatechin gallate (tea, chocolate)
- Flavanolols: silymarin, silibinin, aromadedrin (milk thistle, red onions)
- Dihydrochalcones: phloridzin, aspalathin (apples, rooibos tea)
1-2) Phenolic acids:
- Hydrobenzoic acids: gallic acid, ellagic acid, vanillic acid (rhubarb, grape seed, raspberries, blackberries, pomegranate, vanilla, tea)
- Hydroxycinnamic acids: ferulic acid, P-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, sinapic acid (wheat bran, cinnamon, coffee, kiwi fruit, plums, blueberries)
1-3) Other non-flavonoid polyphenols:
- Other tannins (cereals, fruits, berries, beans, nuts, wine, cocoa)
- Curcuminoids: curcumin (turmeric)
- Stilbenes: cinnamic acid, resveratrol (grapes, wine, blueberries, peanuts, raspberries)
- Lignans: secoisolariciresinol, enterolactone, sesamin (grains, flaxseed, sesame seeds)
2) Terpenoids
2-1) Carotenoid terpenoids:
- Alpha, beta and gamma carotene (sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin, kale)
- Lutein (corn, eggs, kale, spinach, red pepper, pumpkin, oranges, plum, mango, papaya)
- Zeaxanthin (corn, eggs, kale, spinach, red pepper, pumpkin, oranges)
- Lycopene (tomatoes watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, papaya)
- Astaxanthin (salmon, shrimp, krill, crab)
2-2) Non-carotenoid terpenoids:
- Saponins (chickpeas, soya beans)
- Limonene (the rind of citrus fruits)
- Perillyl Alcohol (cherries, caraway seeds, mint)
- Phytosterols: natural cholesterols, siosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol (vegetable oils, cereal grains, nuts, shoots, seeds and their oils, whole grains, legumes)
- Ursolic acid (apples, cranberries, prunes, peppermint, oregano, thyme)
- Ginkgolide and bilobalide (Ginkgo biloba)
3) Thiols
3-1) Glucosinolates:
- Isothiocyanates (sulforaphane) and dithiolthiones (cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, horseradish, radish and mustard)
3-2) Allylic sulfides:
- Allicin and S-allyl cysteine (garlic, leeks, onions)
3-3) Indoles:
- Indole-3-carbinol (broccoli, brussels sprouts)
It is very important to note that not all these fruits and vegetables are created equal. Many of the cultivated foods we eat are less nutritious than their wild counterparts, not just over the last 100 years, but since the dawn of farming 10,000 years ago.
Beyond this controversial premise, there is a wealth of fascinating information on which cultivated varieties retain their “wild equivalence” in nutritional value, how to prepare these fresh ingredients to preserve or even enhance their nutritional content, how to store fresh foods, recipes for making healthy dishes from the recommended high-octane nutritional ingredients, and the latest scientific research on the health benefits of eating foods rich in antioxidants and phytonutrient content.
It is, after all, up to each individual to make their own informed decisions over which foods to eat.
