PHYTO CHEMICALS

What are phytochemicals?

Phytochemicals are non-nutritive plant chemicals that have protective or disease preventive properties. There are more than thousand known phytochemicals. It is well-known that plant produce these chemicals to protect itself but recent research demonstrate that they can protect humans against diseases. Some of the well-known phytochemicals are lycopene in tomatoes, isoflavones in soy and flavanoids in fruits. They are not essential nutrients and are not required by the human body for sustaining life.

How do phytochemicals work?

There are many phytochemicals and each works differently. These are some possible actions:

• Antioxidant - Most phytochemicals have antioxidant activity and protect our cells against oxidative damage and reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer. Phytochemicals with antioxidant activity: allyl sulfides (onions, leeks, garlic), carotenoids (fruits, carrots), flavonoids (fruits, vegetables), polyphenols (tea, grapes).
• Hormonal action - Isoflavones, found in soy, imitate human estrogens and help to reduce menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis.
• Stimulation of enzymes - Indoles, which are found in cabbages, stimulate enzymes that make the estrogen less effective and could reduce the risk for breast cancer. Other phytochemicals, which interfere with enzymes, are protease inhibitors (soy and beans), terpenes (citrus fruits and cherries).
• Interference with DNA replication - Saponins found in beans interfere with the replication of cell DNA, thereby preventing the multiplication of cancer cells. Capsaicin, found in hot peppers, protects DNA from carcinogens.
• Anti-bacterial effect - The phytochemical allicin from garlic has anti-bacterial properties.
• Physical action - Some phytochemicals bind physically to cell walls thereby preventing the adhesion of pathogens to human cell walls. Proanthocyanidins are responsible for the anti-adhesion properties of cranberry. Consumption of cranberries will reduce the risk of urinary tract infections and will improve dental health.

How do we get enough phytochemicals?

Foods containing phytochemicals are already part of our daily diet. In fact, most foods contain phytochemicals except for some refined foods such as sugar or alcohol. Some foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, beans, fruits and herbs, contain many phytochemicals. The easiest way to get more phytochemicals is to eat more fruit (blueberries, cranberries, cherries, apple,...) and vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, broccoli,...). It is recommended take daily at least 5 to 9 servings of fruits or vegetable. Fruits and vegetables are also rich in minerals, vitamins and fibre and low in saturated fat.

Future of phytochemicals

Phytochemicals are naturally present in many foods but it is expected that through bioengineering new plants will be developed, which will contain higher levels. This would make it easier to incorporate enough phytochemicals with our food.

List of plants containing phytochemicals

Vegetables Broccoli Fennel Garlic Tomato Fruits and Nuts Acai Almond Bilberry Black Raspberry Blackberry Blackcurrant Cranberry Grape Guarana Hazelnut Mangosteen Noni Olive Orange Pomegranate Red Raspberry Sea Buckthorn Wild Strawberry Wolfberry Medicinal Plants Broom Comfrey Echinacea Ginkgo Goat's Rue Lesser Celandine Lungwort Opium Poppy Passion Fruit Periwinkle Red Bryony Valerian Wintergreen

Common Herbs Aloe vera American Ginseng Clary Sage Common Mallow Cornsilk Dandelion Ground Ivy Hawthorn Hop Hyssop Indian Cress Korean Ginseng Lemon Balm Lemon Verbena Marigold Milfoil Milk Thistle Red clover Rooibos Rosemary Sage Schizandra Stinging Nettle Sweet Clover Tea Wild Carrot Wild Pansy Woodruff Beans Cacao Soy

List of phytochemicals

Alkaloids Caffeine Theobromine Theophylline Anthocyanins Cyanidin Carotenes Lycopene Coumestans Flavan-3-Ols Flavonoids Epicatechin Hesperidin Kaempferol Naringin Proanthocyanidins Quercetin Resveratrol Rutin Tangeretin Hydroxycinnamic Acids Chicoric acid Coumarin Ferulic acid Scopoletin Isoflavones Daidzein Genistein Lignans Silymarin Monophenols Hydroxytyrosol

Monoterpenes Geraniol Limonene Organosulfides Allicin Glutathione Indole-3-Carbinol Isothiocyanates Sulforaphane Other Phytochemicals Damnacanthal Digoxin Phytic acid Phenolic Acids Capsaicin Ellagic Acid Gallic acid Rosmarinic acid Tannic Acid Phytosterols Beta-Sitosterol Saponins Triterpenoids Ursolic acid Xanthophylls Astaxanthin Beta-Cryptoxanthin

History of Phytochemicals

Phytochemicals exists as long as plants exist but we only know about hundred years about their existence. Medicinal plants are widely used by traditional cultures all over the world. It is likely that the knowledge of traditional medicine developed through trial and error over many centuries. The Chinese have the oldest medicine system. More than 5000 years ago, the Chinese based their medicine on the influence of yin and yang, and on the five elements. The earliest records about herbal medicine dates back to 2800 BC when the Chinese emperor Shen Nong wrote the text The Great Native Herbal.

Hippocrates (460-377 BC) and Aristotle (384-322 BC) introduced the herbal medicine from India and Egypt to Europe.

The Greek physician Dioscorides wrote the book De Materia Medica in the first century AD.

During the 19th and 20th century, the main strategy of the scientists was to discover the active ingredients, which had medicinal or pesticidal properties. Examples of these discoveries are salicylic avid, morphine and pyrethroids (pesticides). During the 1980s many laboratories started to identify phytochemicals in plants that might be used as medicines. Many of these discovered phytochemicals seems to fight diseases such as cancer, heart attack and stroke. At the same time other scientist conducting epidemiological studies to determine the relationship between the consumption of phytochemicals and human health. Most studies showed that diets rich in plants gave lower rates of cancer and heart disease.

Today, most new pharmaceuticals are not discovered in plants but are new synthetic creations. Recently there is a renewed interest in the discovery of phytochemicals. This renewed interest is our awareness has already developed many chemicals, which still have to be discovered. New modern laboratory techniques have made it easer to discover and identify new phytochemicals.--==================

Tips to increase your intake of phytochemicals

To maintain health, it is important to take at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables. Studies have shown that the intake of fruits and vegetables increases antioxidant capacity and improve immunity. These easy (and almost free) tips can help you to increase your daily intake of phytochemicals from herbs, fruits and vegetables:

Tip 1: Eat at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables.

The World Health Organisation recommends that we eat daily at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables. This 5 PLUS a day strategy is adopted by many countries. The 5 PLUS a day message is the most successful health promotion idea because research has shown that eating at least five portions of fruits and vegetables each day could reduce cancer rates by 20 percent.

Tip 2: Eat more tomato ketchup

You should use tomato ketchup as condiment on your meals instead of mayonnaise. Not only does ketchup contain a lot less calories, it is rich in the phytochemical lycopene. However, you should check that it is real ketchup made from tomatoes and does not contain colourings. Lycopene is found in fresh tomatoes but cooking breaks down the cell wall and increase the availability of lycopene. Research indicates that lycopene and tomato products lower the risk of some cancers and heart diseases.

Tip 3: Eat the albedo of citrus fruis

Whenever you eat or press citrus fruits, you should also eat the albedo, which is the white part of the citrus fruit. You should not eat the coloured part, which tastes very better and could be contaminated with pesticides. Albedo tastes quite neutral and sweet. The orange flesh and juice are also healthy and loaded with vitamin C, but the albedo is very rich in pectin and the phytochemicals limonin and glucarates. The pectin of the albedo lowers your cholesterol, curbs appetite and suppresses your hunger for a few hours. The albedo is also rich in vitamin C.

Tip 4: Increase soy consumption

Soy is packed with healthy ingredients: omega-3 fatty acids, cholesterol reducing proteins and minerals. The main phytochemical in soy is isoflavone, which improves bone health, reduces risk of certain cancers and reduces menopausal symptoms.

Tip 5: Drink herbal teas

Reduce your intake of coffee and soft drinks and increase the intake of herbal tea, including ordinary tea. Today there is a large selection of teas available: camomile, linden, sage, green teas, etc.

Tip 6: Eat dried fruits as snack

You should substitute your candy and snacks with dried fruits such as prunes, apricots, dades and raisins.

Tip 7: Add herbs and spices to your meals

Spices and herbs do not only add flavour to your meals but many are loaded with phytochemicals. Try to add following herbs and spices: parsley, sage, thyme, oregano, basil, etc.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are phytochemicals, vitamins and other nutrients that protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals. In vitro en in vivo studies have shown that antioxidants help prevent the free radical damage that is associated with cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants can be found in most fruits and vegetables but also culinary herbs and medicinal herbs can contain high levels of antioxidants. Dragland S and colleagues showed in their study entitled "Several Culinary and Medicinal Herbs are Important Sources of Dietary Antioxidants", and published in the Journal of Nutrition (2003 May) that the antioxidant level of herbs can be as high as 465 mmol per 100 g.
A study in 2006 by Thompson HJ showed that a botanical diversity of fruits and vegetables plays a role in the biological effect of antioxidant phytochemicals. The consumption of smaller quantities of many phytochemicals may result in more health benefits than the consumption of larger quantities of fewer phytochemicals.

What are free radicals?

Free radicals are formed as part of our natural metabolism but also by environmental factors, including smoking, pesticides, pollution and radiation. Free radicals are unstable molecules which react easily with essential molecules of our body, including DNA, fat and proteins. All organic and inorganic materials consist of atoms, which can be bound together to form molecules. Each atom has a specific number of protons (positively charged) and electrons (negatively charged). Most single atoms are not stable because they have to few or to may electrons. Atoms try to reach a state of maximum stability by giving away or receiving electrons from other atoms, thereby forming molecules. Free radicals are molecules with have one electron too much or to less in order to be stable. Free radicals try to steal or give electrons to other molecules, thereby changing their chemical structure.

When a free radical attacks a molecule, it will then become a free radical itself, causing a chain reaction which can result in the destruction of a cell. Antioxidants have the property to neutralize free radicals without becoming a free radicals themselves. When antioxidants neutralize free radicals by receiving or donating an electron they do not become antioxidants themselves because they are stable in both forms. In other words, antioxidants are chemicals that offer up their own electrons to the free radicals, thus preventing cellular damage. However, when the antioxidant neutralizes a free radical it becomes inactive. Therefore we need to continuously supply our body with antioxidants. The action of free radicals could increase the risk of diseases such as cancer and hearth problems and could accelerate ageing. Antioxidants have the property to neutralize the free radicals and prevent damage. Well known examples of antioxidants are the vitamin C, E and beta-carotene. These three vitamins are often added to the so called ACE drinks. But there are numerous other rather unknown antioxidants such as lycopene, lutein,

Benefits of antioxidants

Numerous studies with plant phytochemicals show that phytochemicals with antioxidant activity may reduce risk of cancer and improve heart health.

Antioxidants reduce the risk of cancer

Not all results are conclusive but many studies show that antioxidants may reduce the risk of cancer. A large randomized trial on antioxidants and cancer risk was the Chinese Cancer Prevention Study (1993). This study showed that a combination of the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin E and selenium significantly reduced incidence of cancer. However, the Alpha-Tocopherol / Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (1994) showed that intake of beta-carotene increased lung cancer rates of male smokers.

Antioxidants protect the heart

Everyone knows that cholesterol causes heart diseases and tries to limit cholesterol intake. But a more important cause of fatty buildups in the arteries is the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The use of dietary supplements of antioxidants could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but there is no hard evidence. At this stage, studies only show that the intake of foods, naturally rich in antioxidants reduces this risk.

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Antioxidant claims on foods

Antioxidants can be found in most foods, especially in fruits and vegetables, but we see more and more food products on the shelves with antioxidant claims. These antioxidant claims crop up everywhere: from beverages to chocolates. Food producers do this because of the very high consumer awareness of the term antioxidants. Consumers believe that a high intake of antioxidants will protect them from ageing, cancer, heart disease and other diseases. This awareness already started in the 1990s when mainly beverage producers launched so called ACE drinks, which contained the three antioxidant vitamins vitamin A, C and E. Now food producers are adding supper fruits such as red berries, pomegranate and acai. When the food producer claims antioxidants, they are mainly looking at the total content of antioxidants and not at their biological activity. The antioxidant activity of foods is mainly expressed as FRAP, ORAC or TEAC values, all of which are measured in a test tube. In future the antioxidant activity should be measured in humans, by determining the quantities absorbed in the blood and tissues.

Legislation

In Eropean Community, currently no legal rules regarding the declaration of antioxidants exist. For example, there is no definition for foods with claims such as "contains antioxidants" or "high in antioxidants". However, some food companies have already been rapped on their knuckles by health authorities. In 2007 an antioxidant claim by the well known smoothie producer Innocent that its fruit juice contained more antioxidants than a five-a-day portion was found not substantiated. In the same year the UK Tea Council was forbidden to make any further claims about the antioxidant potential of tea.

Overdosage of antioxidants

Although some levels of antioxidants in the diet are required for good health, there is considerable doubt as to whether antioxidant supplementation is beneficial, and if so, which antioxidant is beneficial and in what amounts. Also, there is a risk of over consumption. Some antioxidants will act as pro-antioxidants when consumed in high quantities and in combination with factors such as exposure to pollution, smoking and excessive exercise. One famous study called the "Alpha Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study", tried to determine whether taking vitamin E and beta carotene daily reduced the risk of lung cancer. In this study 18% more lung cancers developed in the people taking the antioxidant supplements, the opposite of what the researchers expected.

What are free radicals?

Free radicals are atomic or molecular species with unpaired electrons in the outermost bonding orbital and are likely to take part in chemical reactions. Electrons prefer to be in pairs and when an electron is alone in its orbital in will try to take an electron from another atom to become more stable. When the other atom loses its electron it tries on its turn to steal an electron from another atom, often resulting in a dangerous chain reaction. Free radicals can cause damage to our cells but they also play an important role in a number of biological processes, such as the intracellular killing of bacteria by white blood cells and some cell signalling processes.

Types of free radicals

Most free radicals are coming from oxygen atoms and are called Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), such as superoxide ion, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide and singlet oxygen.

Superoxide ion (or reactive oxygen species) is an oxygen molecule with an extra electron. This free radical can cause damage to mitochondria , DNA and other molecules. Our body can neutralize superoxide ions by producing superoxide dismutase.

Hydroxyl radical is formed by the reduction of an oxygen molecule in the electron transport chain. It is a neutral (not charged) form of the hydroxide ion. Hydroxyl radicals are highly reactive and form an important part of radical biochemistry. Unlike superoxide the hydroxyl radical cannot be eliminated by an enzymatic reaction. Is has a very short half-life and will only react with molecules its vicinity. Because of its high reactivity it will damage most organic molecules such as carbohydrates, DNA, lipids and proteins.

Singlet oxygen is formed by ou immune system. Singlet oxygen causes oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

Hydrogen peroxide is not a free radical but it is involved in the production of many reactive oxygen species. Hydrogen peroxide is a byproduct of oxygen metabolism and is neutralized by peroxidases.

Sometimes reactive nitrogen atoms are involved and these free radicals grouped under Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS). Nitric acid is the most important RNS. Some transitional metals, such as iron and copper, have many numbers of unpaired electrons and can also act as free radicals. These metals do not have that strong electron affinity but can easily accept and donate electrons.

Oxidative damage

Free radicals can damage DNA in different ways. They can disrupt the duplication and maintenance of DNA, brake open the DNA molecule or they can alter the structure by reacting with the DNA bases. Lipids in cell membranes are very prone to oxidative damage because some free radicals tend to concentrate in the membrane and cause oxidative damage, known as lipid peroxidation. Many forms of cancer are thought to be the result of reactions between free radicals and DNA, resulting in mutations that can lead to malignancy. Other diseases such as atherosclerosis, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's are also attributed to free radicals.

Info about phytochemicals

Phytochemicals and Cardiovascular Disease - Gives definition of phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are chemicals found in plants. Plant sterols, flavonoids and sulfur-containing compounds are three classes of micronutrients found in fruits and vegetables. These compounds may be important in reducing the risk of atherosclerosis. Within these phytochemicals are many compounds, most of which aren't well described and whose modes of action aren't established. As work continues on all these compounds, other unrecognized components in plants will be identified that may have promise in reducing risk of cardiovascular disease.

Producers and sellers of phytochemicals

Linnea - Linnea has a clear edge in meeting the ever-increasing demand for premium botanicals. Building on 20 years’ experience in the manufacture of plant extracts, Linnea guarantees complete quality assurance – a key distinction in a marketplace where quality is valued and demanded. Linnea has a comprehensive product list ranging from Bilberry to Zea Mays.

Vegan/Vegetarian resources

HappyCow's Vegetarian Guide - provides a worldwide directory to vegetarian restaurants and natural health food stores, healthy cooking tips, recipes, raw living foods, travel, veganism and vegetarian dating.