Some foods rich in carotenoids are:. Ellagic acid is a phytochemical known for reducing cancer risk and lowering cholesterol. Ellagic acid has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

The highest levels of ellagic acid are present in raspberries. Other foods rich in this compound include:. Resveratrol is found predominantly in grapes — specifically, the grape skin — and wine. This compound supports cardiovascular and cognitive health.

Resveratrol has also been associated with increased cerebral blood flow. Flavonoids are one of the largest groups of phytonutrients. This compound is rich in antioxidant properties and anticancer activity. There are many subgroups of flavonoids, including:.

These compounds are associated with reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease , and osteoporosis. Phytoestrogen mimics estrogen in the body, which may be beneficial for women in relieving discomfort from hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.

However, some studies have shown phytoestrogens may disrupt hormone function. Be mindful of your intake of phytoestrogens and get to know how they may impact your body, as everyone is different.

Glucosinolates are compounds found predominantly in cruciferous vegetables. They are known for helping to regulate inflammation, metabolic function, and stress responses. Glucosinolates have also been associated with cancer prevention. Studies in rats and mice found that the compounds that form from broken down glucosinololates inactivate carcinogens and protect cells from DNA damage.

However, this has not been proven in human studies. Common foods rich in glucosinolates include:. Increasing the amount of phytonutrient-rich foods in your diet can boost antioxidant activity and your immune health. Although these compounds are available in supplement form, they are best consumed through natural foods, specifically fruits and vegetables.

This is a detailed article about bananas. What they are, what they look like, along with in-depth information on nutrition and health benefits. Cruciferous vegetables are low-calorie, and rich in folate, vitamins C, E, and K, and fiber.

Want to add more fruit to your daily diet, but tired of apples and bananas? These 15 Chinese fruits pack a nutritious punch. Raw honey is a lot more than a sweetener for your tea.

The benefits of raw honey including healing, skin care, and more. Plus, learn about an…. The cranberry is a popular type of berry, high in nutrients and antioxidants.

It has many health benefits, and is usually consumed as cranberry juice. Understanding which body type you are may help you achieve your health and fitness goals more effectively. The only rule about having mocktails is that they are zero-proof. Here are 3 ways we tried them for the perfect end-of-summer refresh.

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Curr Treat Options Neurol. Download references. Obesity and Eating Habits Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Department of Epidemiology, Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran. Chronic Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. Correspondence to Hanieh-Sadat Ejtahed. School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK. Reprints and permissions. Qorbani, M. Dietary Phytochemical Index as a Biomarker in Nutritional Studies: Features and Applications.

In: Patel, V. eds Biomarkers in Nutrition. Biomarkers in Disease: Methods, Discoveries and Applications. Springer, Cham. Published : 15 October Publisher Name : Springer, Cham. Print ISBN : Online ISBN : eBook Packages : Biomedical and Life Sciences Reference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences.

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Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. Policies and ethics. Skip to main content. Abstract Phytochemicals are bioactive nutrient plant chemicals that may provide desirable health benefits beyond basic nutrition to reduce the risk of major non-communicable diseases.

Keywords Phytochemical Dietary phytochemical index Non-communicable diseases Obesity Metabolic syndrome Cardiovascular disease Cancer Neurological disorders. Buying options Chapter EUR

Understanding which body type you are may help you achieve your health and fitness goals more effectively. The only rule about having mocktails is that they are zero-proof. Here are 3 ways we tried them for the perfect end-of-summer refresh. Everyone self cares differently.

What works for you? A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Natalie Olsen, R. Benefits Types Outlook What are phytonutrients?

Phytonutrient health benefits. Types of phytonutrients. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

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Medically reviewed by Peggy Pletcher, M. Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, R. Plus, learn about an… READ MORE. Cranberries Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits.

These protective compounds are passed along to us when we eat plant foods. One of the reasons we may like or don't like certain foods is because of the phytochemicals they contain.

These various compounds give foods their color, taste, and smell. They put the hot in habaneras, the gusto in garlic, the bitterness in broccoli, and the color in carrots. For example, carotenoids give foods their deep red, dark orange, and yellow color while anthocyanins provide the various shades of red, purple, and blue found in other fruits and vegetables.

Flavonoids are the pigments that are responsible for the many other shades of yellow, orange, and red in foods. Isothiocyanates and indoles are the chemicals in cabbage that give that notorious odor to the kitchen when cabbage is cooked.

Capsaicin puts the hot in chili peppers. Phytochemicals appear to have significant physiological effects in the body. Whether they are acting as antioxidants , mimicking hormones, stimulating enzymes, interfering with DNA replication, destroying bacteria, or binding to cell walls, they seem to work to curb the onset of diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Some phytochemicals work alone, others work in combination, and some seem to work in conjunction with other nutrients in food, such as vitamins. The more brightly colored the food, the more phytochemicals a food contains, perhaps making the food that much more beneficial.

However, less colorful fruits and vegetables, like onions and corn, are also rich in phytochemicals. Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is the best way to achieve all the potential benefits that phytochemicals offer.

There are over 1, known phytochemicals and probably many more that are yet to be discovered. The table below shows several types of phytochemicals, their possible beneficial effects, and food sources of each. The recent research into the potential health benefits of phytochemicals has uncovered numerous possibilities.

Anthocyanins and other flavonoids appear to improve vision health. Resveratrol is being studied for the prevention of prostate cancer. The isoflavones in soybeans may reduce inflammation and the risk of heart disease.

Lignans have shown promise in reducing the growth of cancerous tumors, particularly in the breast and prostate. Cranberries contain a diverse composition of phytochemicals, and research shows promise that they may help to limit cancer and other diseases of aging. Phytochemicals in apples were shown to reduce cardiac risk factors in obese rats with metabolic syndrome.

Whole grain foods contain a wide variety of unique phytochemicals that are thought to be responsible for the health benefits of whole grain consumption. Vegetarians naturally consume higher levels of carotenoids, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals and tend to have lower cancer rates, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, and a lower risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

Other studies have shown that the consumption of phytochemical abundant foods may prevent hypertension and MetS [ 39 , 40 , 41 ]. These findings may be explained by the synergistic effects of phytochemicals together with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as high intake of antioxidant vitamins including vitamin C and vitamin A that can inverse insulin resistance [ 33 , 40 , 42 ].

Further evidences suggest the protective effect of a higher intake of potassium and folate on endothelial function, MetS and hypertension [ 33 , 43 ]. In contrast, a cross-sectional study on Iranian adults observed no significant association between DPI and the odds of hypertension and MetS [ 44 ].

Such contradictions may be due to the differences in sampling size and dietary habits. Our results also showed a significant reverse relationship between abdominal obesity and higher conformity of DPI, which are consistent with a longitudinal study on adults, reporting that an increase in energy intake from phytochemicals-rich foods precludes weight gain and adiposity [ 45 ].

The protective role of phytochemicals against WC may be mediated by inhibitory role of some polyphenols in proliferation of pre-adipocytes, reducing adipogenesis, and stimulating lipolysis [ 46 , 47 ].

However, our findings did not remain significant after further adjustment for confounders, which may be due to the differences in general and genetic characteristics of the subjects. In the present study, the analysis stratified by sex showed that odds MetS reduced in women with highest compliance of DPI.

In line with our findings, a cross-sectional study showed a lower risk of the MetS among women with higher intakes of fruits and vegetables [ 48 ]. Another study found that moderate and high intake of fruits could alleviate MetS in women [ 49 ].

Some studies have also reported that phytochemicals in food sources could improve lipid metabolism in middle-aged women especially with menopause [ 50 , 51 ].

Several possible mechanisms of higher adherence of DPI and MetS in women can be described. For example, women with higher intake of DPI have lower levels of C-reactive protein, oxidative stress and inflammation than men due to an interaction between sex hormones and some phytochemicals intake such as isoflavones with similar structure to estrogen [ 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 ].

The advantages and limitations of the present study can be summarized as follows. Population-based design was the most important strength of this study.

Face-to-face interviews in a large sample of population using trained interviewers were other strengths. Dietary intakes were assessed with a validated questionnaire.

Nevertheless, the major limitation of the cross-sectional design of this study was rooted in the inability to determine the direction of relations. The possibility of not considering all possible confounders was another one. Also, the dietary phytochemicals quality of the participants in the same DPI was not determined in term of the variation in intake food containing phytochemicals.

More adherence to DPI is probably related to reduced risk of MetS especially in women. Interventional studies are needed to discover causal relations and relevant underlying mechanisms. The YaHS database is closed.

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Vincent, Ph. By slowly eating phytochemical-rich foods such as salads with olive oil or fresh-cut fruits before the actual meal, you will likely reduce the overall portion size, fat content and energy intake.

In this way, you're ensuring that you get the variety of protective, disease-fighting phytochemicals you need and controlling caloric intake. The researchers studied a group of 54 young adults, analyzing their dietary patterns over a three-day period, repeating the same measurement eight weeks later.

The participants were broken into two groups: normal weight and overweight-obese. Although the adults in the two groups consumed about the same amount of calories, overweight-obese adults consumed fewer plant-based foods and subsequently fewer protective trace minerals and phytochemicals and more saturated fats.

They also had higher levels of oxidative stress and inflammation than their normal-weight peers, Vincent said. These processes are related to the onset of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and joint disease, she added. Those are the onset processes of disease that debilitate people later in life.

Oxidative stress occurs when the body produces too many damaging free radicals and lacks enough antioxidants or phytochemicals to counteract them. Because of excess fat tissue and certain enzymes that are more active in overweight people, being obese can actually trigger the production of more free radicals, too.

Because many phytochemicals have antioxidant properties, they can help combat free radicals, Vincent said. Phytochemicals include substances such as allin from garlic, lycopene from tomatoes, isoflavones from soy, beta carotene from orange squashes and anythocyanins from red wine, among others.

Instead of making drastic changes, people could substitute one or two choices a day with phytochemical-rich foods to make a difference in their diets, Vincent said. For example, substituting a cup of steeped plain tea instead of coffee or reaching for an orange instead of a granola bar could increase a person's phytochemical intake for the day without even changing the feeling of fullness.

Over time, replacing more pre-packaged snacks with fresh produce or low-sugar grains could become a habit that fights obesity and disease, Vincent said. Remember to eat the good quality food first.

Currently, there are no recommendations for how much of these plant compounds people should be getting each day, says Susanne Talcott, Ph.

Using the phytochemical index could be a good way to come up with these recommendations, she said. Like Vincent, Talcott also cautions people to try and stick to the whole sources of foods and be wary of processed foods that promise benefits from added plant compounds.

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Story Source: Materials provided by University of Florida. Cite This Page : MLA APA Chicago University of Florida. ScienceDaily, 22 October University of Florida. Phytochemicals In Plant-based Foods Could Help Battle Obesity, Disease.

Retrieved February 14, from www. htm accessed February 14, Whether they are acting as antioxidants , mimicking hormones, stimulating enzymes, interfering with DNA replication, destroying bacteria, or binding to cell walls, they seem to work to curb the onset of diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Some phytochemicals work alone, others work in combination, and some seem to work in conjunction with other nutrients in food, such as vitamins.

The more brightly colored the food, the more phytochemicals a food contains, perhaps making the food that much more beneficial.

However, less colorful fruits and vegetables, like onions and corn, are also rich in phytochemicals. Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is the best way to achieve all the potential benefits that phytochemicals offer.

There are over 1, known phytochemicals and probably many more that are yet to be discovered. The table below shows several types of phytochemicals, their possible beneficial effects, and food sources of each.

The recent research into the potential health benefits of phytochemicals has uncovered numerous possibilities. Anthocyanins and other flavonoids appear to improve vision health.

Resveratrol is being studied for the prevention of prostate cancer. The isoflavones in soybeans may reduce inflammation and the risk of heart disease. Lignans have shown promise in reducing the growth of cancerous tumors, particularly in the breast and prostate. Cranberries contain a diverse composition of phytochemicals, and research shows promise that they may help to limit cancer and other diseases of aging.

Phytochemicals in apples were shown to reduce cardiac risk factors in obese rats with metabolic syndrome. Whole grain foods contain a wide variety of unique phytochemicals that are thought to be responsible for the health benefits of whole grain consumption.

Vegetarians naturally consume higher levels of carotenoids, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals and tend to have lower cancer rates, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, and a lower risk of hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

Their diets also tend to be higher in dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins C and E, and folate. The value of phytochemicals is one reason why the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage the consumption of at least five cups of fruits and vegetables and three ounces of whole grain foods every day.

On average, Americans eat less than two cups of vegetables per day and only one cup of fruit a day. Less than 5 percent of Americans consume the recommended amount of whole grains with most eating less an one serving a day.

Clearly, Americans are lacking in their intake of plant foods and not reaping the health benefits provided by the phytochemicals they contain. IT'S EASY TO UP YOUR INTAKE. The only way to increase the intake of phytochemicals is to eat more plant foods. Here are some tips for incorporating more plant foods in your diet:.

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Explore The Atlantic Archive Play The Atlantic crossword. The Print Edition Latest Issue Past Issues. Search The Atlantic. Quick Links. Sign In Subscribe. Make a conscious effort to eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables every day.

Use ketchup on your burgers instead of mayonnaise. Not only is ketchup fat-free and lower in calories, but it is rich in the phytochemical lycopene. Add shredded peppers, radishes, onions, or broccoli steams to a shredded cabbage and carrot salad.