Art of Diet

Phytonutrients - The Five Colors of Optimal Nutrition

By Doug Ingoldsby  

Enzyme rich green foods and phytonutrients can help heal your body, boost your energy and strengthen your immune system.

Phytonutrients (also known as phytochemicals) are plant compounds found in fresh fruits and vegetables. They have been shown to have tremendous beneficial effects on the body. Among other things, phtyonutrients have been shown by research to have antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-cancer properties. But, unfortunately, the modern diet has become increasingly deficient in these amazing compounds.

The Missing Phytonutrients
The average American's fast food, processed, nutrient poor diet is a stark contrast to how we ate in recent history. We have made drastic alterations to our diet, almost exclusively away from phytonutrient rich, fresh green foods and fruits. The lack of these foods are the cause of much pain and suffering from diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

The decreased consumption of phytonutrients is in part caused by the genetic modification and processing procedures of our fruits and vegetables. Today's produce has been modified to have durable skins for rough cross country travel, and is often picked long before the peak of ripeness in order to endure the sorting, washing, packaging and trucking they have to undergo before appearing in our local grocery stores. All in all, the "fresh" produce we buy is a far cry from the juicy fresh treats we once savored at the local farmers market or roadside produce stand. Given the depleted nature of our fruits and vegetables, the "5-a-day" rule is not sufficient to give our bodies the necessary phytonutrients we need.

The Five Colors Of Optimal Nutrition
According to a recent America's Phytonutrient Report, there are five color categories that include red, blue and purple, yellow and orange, white, and green. Each color category is said to play a different role in health. White, for instance, tends to inhibits cancer and high cholesterol levels while bolstering heart health. The yellow and orange category contributes to healthy eyes as do greens, which also stem cancer growth. Experts recommend ingesting a diverse selection of fruits and vegetables from all color categories in order to obtain the synergistic benefits from each. (A colorful and diverse mixed salad with all the colors a good example)

According to the report, eight out of 10 Americans have a "phytonutrient gap" in every color category. The worst deficit is in the blue and purple category where fully 88 percent of Americans are deficient. In the white category, 86 percent are lacking while 79 percent are deficient in the orange and yellow category, 78 percent are deficient in reds, and 69 percent in greens.

The report recommended levels for 14 different phytonutrients and compared levels in the average American diet. These included EGCG, isothiocyanate, lutein and zeaxanthin, isoflavones for greens, lycopene and ellagic acid for reds, allicin and quercetin for whites, anthocyanidins and resveratrol for purples and blues, and alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, hesperitin, and beta-cryptoxanthin for yellows and oranges.

Antioxidants Another Key To Health and Healing
Antioxidants are another reason vegetables and especially fruits are so healing for the body. Our industrialized world constantly exposes us to free radicals: unstable oxygen molecules associated with cancer, heart disease and the effects of aging. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, keeping us healthy. Tufts scientists measured the antioxidant levels of 50 fresh fruits and vegetables, and found berries occupied the top slots. This has largely been attributed to their high anthocyanin content. Anthocyanins give berries their blue and red colors, as well as being powerful antioxidants, three to four times more potent then the traditional antioxidants such as vitamins C and E.

Research is constantly exposing novel health benefits from fresh fruit. Some of these include:

·       Tart cherries provide highly effective pain relief and a multiplicity of other health benefits. In 1998, scientists at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, discovered that the anthocyanin in red tart cherries give 10 times the anti-inflammatory relief of aspirin, without irritating the stomach

·       At the meeting of the American Chemical Society in April, 2002, several studies were presented that demonstrated that the antioxidants in cranberries not only help with urinary tract infections, but also appear to possess anti-cancer properties, inhibit the growth of common food borne pathogens and contain antibacterial properties.

·       USDA researcher Ronald Prior, Ph.D., determined that blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity of 40 tested fruits and vegetables, largely due to the anthocyanin flavonoids that give blueberries their dark blue color. Recent laboratory studies suggest blueberries may delay the onset of age-related memory loss.

With the growing challenge we face to feed ourselves and our families nutrient rich, high quality food, it is extra important to add phytonutrient supplements to our daily routine, as well as eating a wide variety of colorful and nutritious foods.

About Doug Ingoldsby

Doug Ingoldsby, AKA, The Vitamin Professor, is the founder of ALL ONE, manufacturer of the world's first high potency multiple vitamin/mineral/protein powders and phytonutrient supplements. By adding ALL ONE Green Phyto Base and ALL ONE Fruit Antioxidant Formula to your daily routine you will be sure to get two full grams of healing phytonutrients daily. For more information and to check for current specials, see http://www.all-one.com

Copyright 2010, Doug Ingoldsby, ALL ONE Vitamins

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