Phytochemicals Explained

For many years, researchers have recognized that diets high in fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes appear to reduce the risk of number of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure when compared with diets high in meat.  More recently, it was discovered that disease-preventing effects of these foods are partly due to antioxidants – specific vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that help prevent cancer and other disorders by protecting cells against damage from oxidation.  Now, researchers have discovered that fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes contain yet another group of health producing nutrients called phytochemicals these substances appear to be powerful ammunition in the war against cancer and other disorders.

 Phytochemicals are the biologically active substances in plants that are responsible for giving them color, flavor, and natural disease resistance.  To understand how phytochemicals protect the body against the cancer, it is necessary to understand that cancer formation is a multi-step process.  Phytochemicals seem to fight cancer by blocking one or more of the step that leads to formation of cancer. 

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