Phytochemicals are plant chemicals that contain protective, disease-preventing properties but are not presently considered essential to life. Phytochemicals are present in all whole plant foods in varying amounts. While variety is your real key to a phytochemical-rich diet, making these foods a regular feature will turn your diet into a phytochemical feast. Let us begin with vegetables.
Vegetables stand out as being the most protective foods we can eat. They are also the most nutrient dense and, the richest sources of numerous phytochemicals.
Cruciferous vegetable include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, kohlabi, Brussels sprouts, kale, collars, mustard green, and turnip greens.
Indoles: the phytochemical has an antiestrogenic activity potentially reducing risk of related cancers
Isothiocyanates (including sulforaphane): anticancer activity
Umbelliferous vegetables include celery, carrots, parsnips, fennel, dill, anise, parsley, and cilantro.
Coumarins: the phytochemical has anti-CVD activity (inhibits blood coagulation); Flavones: antioxidant, anticancer, anti-CVD activity (Celery is one of the richest sources of two important flavones.); Carotenoids (over 600 different carotenoids found in nature): antioxidant activity (in lab tests although not proven in humans), anticancer and immune-enhancing activity; Phythalides and Polyacetylenes: antitumor activity phytochemicals.
Carotenoids are present in virtually every cell of the human body. Studies on carotenes like alpha-carotene, lycopene, luetin, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptozanthin show a 3 to1 reduction in strokes and other heart risks when they are added to our diet.
Allium vegetables are the sulfur-containing vegetables of the garlic and onion family including leeks, shallots, chives, and scallions. The most active components are:
Allicin which has anti-CVD activity, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiyeast activity; anticancer activity. Allicin gives garlic its smell.
Hippocrates used garlic to treat pneumonia and infections. Garlic may lower cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, reduces stickiness of blood cells, dilates blood vessels, and has high antioxidant activity. It offers cancer protection by destroying cancer cells and reduces cell division. Garlic battles microbes that increase stomach cancer risk. It also stimulates the immune system.
Kale-rated against 19 other vegetables, kale has the greatest antioxidant activity. It is also rich in lutein, a phytochemical that protects the eyes from macular degeneration, it is one of our best flavonols, and a great source of calcium. Other deep green leafy veggies like collards offer similar benefits.
Broccoli Sprouts-sprouting changes the phytochemical content of a plant significantly, and the changes are impressive. Broccoli is prized for its sulforaphane content. Certain variety of broccoli sprouts contain anywhere from 10 to 100 times the amount of sulforaphane as mature broccoli. Other sprouts appear to have elevated levels of phytochemicals as well.
For further study check out 'Health Healing' by Linda Page and 'Becoming Vegan' by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina.
And, eat your veggies!!!
Vegetables stand out as being the most protective foods we can eat. They are also the most nutrient dense and, the richest sources of numerous phytochemicals.
Cruciferous vegetable include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, kohlabi, Brussels sprouts, kale, collars, mustard green, and turnip greens.
Indoles: the phytochemical has an antiestrogenic activity potentially reducing risk of related cancers
Isothiocyanates (including sulforaphane): anticancer activity
Umbelliferous vegetables include celery, carrots, parsnips, fennel, dill, anise, parsley, and cilantro.
Coumarins: the phytochemical has anti-CVD activity (inhibits blood coagulation); Flavones: antioxidant, anticancer, anti-CVD activity (Celery is one of the richest sources of two important flavones.); Carotenoids (over 600 different carotenoids found in nature): antioxidant activity (in lab tests although not proven in humans), anticancer and immune-enhancing activity; Phythalides and Polyacetylenes: antitumor activity phytochemicals.
Carotenoids are present in virtually every cell of the human body. Studies on carotenes like alpha-carotene, lycopene, luetin, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptozanthin show a 3 to1 reduction in strokes and other heart risks when they are added to our diet.
Allium vegetables are the sulfur-containing vegetables of the garlic and onion family including leeks, shallots, chives, and scallions. The most active components are:
Allicin which has anti-CVD activity, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiyeast activity; anticancer activity. Allicin gives garlic its smell.
Hippocrates used garlic to treat pneumonia and infections. Garlic may lower cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, reduces stickiness of blood cells, dilates blood vessels, and has high antioxidant activity. It offers cancer protection by destroying cancer cells and reduces cell division. Garlic battles microbes that increase stomach cancer risk. It also stimulates the immune system.
Kale-rated against 19 other vegetables, kale has the greatest antioxidant activity. It is also rich in lutein, a phytochemical that protects the eyes from macular degeneration, it is one of our best flavonols, and a great source of calcium. Other deep green leafy veggies like collards offer similar benefits.
Broccoli Sprouts-sprouting changes the phytochemical content of a plant significantly, and the changes are impressive. Broccoli is prized for its sulforaphane content. Certain variety of broccoli sprouts contain anywhere from 10 to 100 times the amount of sulforaphane as mature broccoli. Other sprouts appear to have elevated levels of phytochemicals as well.
For further study check out 'Health Healing' by Linda Page and 'Becoming Vegan' by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina.
And, eat your veggies!!!
Keppi,
ReplyDeleteyour site is great!!! I'll add it to my favorite, you have really good stuff here!
Miss ya,
Olga.