In our diets we concentrate on proteins, carbs and fats for
the most part. One of the key chemical compounds that are found naturally in plant
life and therefore your veggies that has
come to light in recent years are phytochemicals.
Phyto means “plant” in Greek and are responsible for certain
properties in veggies such as the blue in blue berries and the pungent smell of
garlic. I had known about the colours of veggies being part of their
phytochemical makeup but just learned this morning that their smell is part of
this as well.
There are over 10,000 different phytochemicals and have the
potential to affect many diseases such as cancer, stroke or metabolic syndrome.
One of the things that I am seeing in the supplement
industry is that the companies are jumping on these chemicals and producing
supplements that have a specific phytochemical make up. Currently there aren’t any
studies that support this. In fact, the studies point out that the chemicals
only work when combined with other substances in the foods they come from.
So as always get your nutrients from whole foods and you
will always get exactly what Mother
Nature intended for your body. Do not look for the quick fix in supplement
form for these chemicals.
Remember that each and every colour has a different property
that is good for your health so eating a rainbow of colours is key.
Cheers,
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