Phytonutrients - The Five Colors of Optimal Nutrition
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 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 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.
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.
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
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Doug_Ingoldsby/690053
