Nutrients have traditionally been broken down into five broad categories: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Recently, however, research has uncovered another class now known as phytonutrients. While these phytonutrients aren't essential to the health of the human body by traditional definitions, they do apparently help improve your health in unique and unexpected ways.
Definition
Phytonutrients, also known as phytochemicals, literally means nutrients that come from plants. Carotenoids, flavonoids and isoflavones are the best known phytonutrients. Flavonoids, for example, are reddish pigments that can be found in red grape skins and citrus fruits, and carotenoids also include some pigments in the red, yellow and orange end of the spectrum. Isoflavones, on the other hand, come from peanuts, lentils, soy and other legumes. There are many known phytonutrients and perhaps thousands more awaiting discovery. The best way to eat all of them is a healthy diet full of plant foods.
Benefits
The health benefits of phytonutrients are numerous . Isoflavones are believed to reduce the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and several types of cancer. Flavonoids may actually reverse nerve cell aging. Other phytonutrients may act as antioxidants, helping to protect cells from oxidative damage and fight cancers and cardiovascular diseases. However, all of these results are tentative and should not be mistaken for an iron-clad law of nutrition. Research is still on-going. Some agencies such as the FDA contend that there is insufficient evidence to support some of these claims.
Recommended Intake
The food pyramid established by the USDA recommends three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruit a day; both of these groups contain almost all of the phytonutrients. Legumes are also included as a fruit. You should aspire to eat whole foods; count only 100 percent fruit juice as a fruit, and limit your juice consumption. These recommendations will also allow you to eat the daily recommendations of vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, folate and potassium.
Foods
According to Dr. Bill Sears, associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, the top 12 phytonutrient foods are soy, tomatoes, broccoli, garlic, flax seed, citrus fruits, melons, grapefruit, blueberries, sweet potatoes, chili peppers and other legumes such as beans and lentils. Each food may contain phytonutrients that do different things --- for example, fight different kinds of cancers --- so it's essential that you arrange your diet in such a way that you are consuming as many different fruits and vegetable as possible.
Diet
The typical diet plan usually entails starting your day at breakfast with fruits and slowly transitioning to vegetables as time passes. So, for example, you are allowed to have an apple or banana for breakfast or a snack, grapes and a salad for lunch and steamed vegetables, which may include broccoli, peppers and tomatoes, for dinner. You should also ensure that you are eating the proper amount of meat, dairy, grains and fish to round out a balanced diet. The healthy attributes of phytonutrients may be obviated if you're not eating a balanced diet.
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