Why Aren"t You Getting Enough Chemicals In Your Diet? Eat Food Raw To Be Sure You Are!
Are you consuming enough chemicals in your diet? Are you consuming enough chemical compounds like: Polyphenols, Phytates, Sulfides and Thiols, Terpenes, Phenols, Isothiocyanates and Indoles, Saponins and Cyclic Compounds? Sound Nuts? It's true! The American diet is seriously lacking in all of these phytochemicals.
So what are phytochemicals? Phyto is from the Greek for plant. So phytochemicals are organic compounds from plants. Most people prefer the term phytonutrient. It is said that Hippocrates made a tea from willow tree leaves to reduce fever. Extracts, made from willow bark and spiraea (meadowsweet) have the active ingredient salicylic acid. In 1852 an early of asprin was made from salicylic acid. So, Phytochemicals or Phytonutrients are natural chemicals from plants like fruits and vegetables thought to promote well being and have been used in healing for centuries. Recently population studies link eating larger amounts of raw fruits and vegetables with lessened risks of chronic disease, some cancers and heart disease.
Phytonutrients such as Carotenoids have been linked to decreased risk of stroke and Flavonoids have been linked to lower risk of heart disease. Lutein is concentrated in a small area of the retina called the macula. The natural high amount of Lutein is believedto keep the eyes safe from oxidation and damage from high--energy blue light. Diindolylmethane is being studied as an aide against repeated respiratory tumors, cervical dysplasia, and prostate cancer. A phytonutrient compound from the Pacific yew tree resulted in an important cancer drug paclitaxel. So, phytonutrients are significant in medicine. Phytonutrient interest in the medical field is building. Additional knowledge on the positive benefits of phytonutrients to health is being uncovered everyday. But, additional study is needed before increased consumption of phytonutrients will be accepted as prevention for any disease.
Perhaps there is inadequate accepted proof for some that documents the positive health benefits of phytonutrient rich foods. However for now, it appears that an effective strategy for reducing risk of chronic ailments, cancer and heart disease could be to increase consumption of phytonutrient--rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, legumes, grains and teas. Many, it is said, phytonutrients are strong antioxidants that help resist the damage caused to our cells over time that lead to premature aging and chronic disease. Sadly, Americans just don't eat enough fruits and vegetables or an adequate variety of fruits and vegetables, which may be resulting in phytonutrient deficiencies and serious widespread health problems. The good news is that media and consumer interest in phytonutrient--rich foods is ahead of the game.
Only a few phytonutrients have been researched. However, estimates of the still undiscovered and unstudied phytonutrients are in the tens of thousands. How can you increase your chances of eating a good variety and quantity of these natural health--enhancing nutrients? Well that's easy! Add fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables to your diet and sample foods in all the colors of the rainbow. Phytonutrients are what give food their color. So to get a variety of phytonutrients, eat a variety of colors. As an example, did you know bell peppers come in red, yellow, green and purple? Choose green and white teas and consume purple, red and green grapes. Even the phytonutrient composition of fruits, vegetables and nuts can change between different varieties. Broaden your color palette, broaden your variety and broaden the types of fresh plant foods and you will optimize your odds of getting more of the phytonutrients you need.
Freshly harvested plant foods are filledwith the nutrients you need. However, a word of caution, though there are a few exceptions such as tomatoes, many phytonutrients are destroyed or removed from foods by modern processing techniques and even cooking. What's the answer? Eating raw food! Eat raw vegatables, nuts and fruits to get the maximum benefits from your phytonutrients. Eating raw foods of varied colors, kinds and varieties is your best bet to get the health enhancing, health conserving and healing benefits of these remarkable natural foods.
So what are phytochemicals? Phyto is from the Greek for plant. So phytochemicals are organic compounds from plants. Most people prefer the term phytonutrient. It is said that Hippocrates made a tea from willow tree leaves to reduce fever. Extracts, made from willow bark and spiraea (meadowsweet) have the active ingredient salicylic acid. In 1852 an early of asprin was made from salicylic acid. So, Phytochemicals or Phytonutrients are natural chemicals from plants like fruits and vegetables thought to promote well being and have been used in healing for centuries. Recently population studies link eating larger amounts of raw fruits and vegetables with lessened risks of chronic disease, some cancers and heart disease.
Phytonutrients such as Carotenoids have been linked to decreased risk of stroke and Flavonoids have been linked to lower risk of heart disease. Lutein is concentrated in a small area of the retina called the macula. The natural high amount of Lutein is believedto keep the eyes safe from oxidation and damage from high--energy blue light. Diindolylmethane is being studied as an aide against repeated respiratory tumors, cervical dysplasia, and prostate cancer. A phytonutrient compound from the Pacific yew tree resulted in an important cancer drug paclitaxel. So, phytonutrients are significant in medicine. Phytonutrient interest in the medical field is building. Additional knowledge on the positive benefits of phytonutrients to health is being uncovered everyday. But, additional study is needed before increased consumption of phytonutrients will be accepted as prevention for any disease.
Perhaps there is inadequate accepted proof for some that documents the positive health benefits of phytonutrient rich foods. However for now, it appears that an effective strategy for reducing risk of chronic ailments, cancer and heart disease could be to increase consumption of phytonutrient--rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, legumes, grains and teas. Many, it is said, phytonutrients are strong antioxidants that help resist the damage caused to our cells over time that lead to premature aging and chronic disease. Sadly, Americans just don't eat enough fruits and vegetables or an adequate variety of fruits and vegetables, which may be resulting in phytonutrient deficiencies and serious widespread health problems. The good news is that media and consumer interest in phytonutrient--rich foods is ahead of the game.
Only a few phytonutrients have been researched. However, estimates of the still undiscovered and unstudied phytonutrients are in the tens of thousands. How can you increase your chances of eating a good variety and quantity of these natural health--enhancing nutrients? Well that's easy! Add fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables to your diet and sample foods in all the colors of the rainbow. Phytonutrients are what give food their color. So to get a variety of phytonutrients, eat a variety of colors. As an example, did you know bell peppers come in red, yellow, green and purple? Choose green and white teas and consume purple, red and green grapes. Even the phytonutrient composition of fruits, vegetables and nuts can change between different varieties. Broaden your color palette, broaden your variety and broaden the types of fresh plant foods and you will optimize your odds of getting more of the phytonutrients you need.
Freshly harvested plant foods are filledwith the nutrients you need. However, a word of caution, though there are a few exceptions such as tomatoes, many phytonutrients are destroyed or removed from foods by modern processing techniques and even cooking. What's the answer? Eating raw food! Eat raw vegatables, nuts and fruits to get the maximum benefits from your phytonutrients. Eating raw foods of varied colors, kinds and varieties is your best bet to get the health enhancing, health conserving and healing benefits of these remarkable natural foods.
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