What are phytochemicals?

Phytochemicals are non-nutritive chemicals in plant foods that protect plants from microbial invasions and infections. Researchers have learned that these chemicals also are crucial in protecting humans against disease, particularly heart disease. They estimate there are more than 100 different phytochemicals in one serving of vegetables or fruit. Some of the main ones include beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, resveratrol, and hesperidin.

Phytochemicals are chemicals found in plants. They are not essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals, but they do have important functions in the body, and they may protect against cancer.

Examples of phytochemicals include:

• Beta-carotene.
• Isoflavones.
• Lutein.
• Lycopene.

Phytochemicals are naturally occurring compounds in plants. Many of them have been shown to protect us against heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases associated with aging. There are many thousands of phytochemicals we already know about, and probably many thousands more still to be discovered. Organized into such basic groupings as carotenoids, flavonoids, isoflavones, and allylic sulfides, they are found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and grains.

You've probably read some of the popular press reports on a few of these phytochemicals, like the lycopene in tomatoes and the lutein in dark green leafy vegetables -- both of which come under the category of carotenoids. Or maybe you've heard something about the isoflavones, the phytoestrogenic components found in particularly high quantities in soy as well as in lower amounts in dried beans. The isoflavones in soy protein help strengthen bones, specifically the bones of the spine, as well as help control hot flashes. That's great news for those of you in menopause.