Phytochemicals

Phyto = plants

Compounds in plants that protect them from
pests, viruses, bacteria & sun damage.

Only in plant foods.
– 5-9 servings of fruits & veggies recommended
each day.

Antioxidants are phytochemicals that
decrease free radicals.
Antioxidants reduce
free radicals

Every cell needs oxygen to generate energy, but
this process forms some unstable molecules.

These unstable oxygen molecules stabilize
themselves, by stealing electrons from nearby
molecules – creating free radicals.

Antioxidants are the police force that minimize
the stealing. You want enough police on the
force to out number the thieves (free radicals).

Free radicals may lead to cancer, heart disease,
memory loss & impaired eyesight.
Antioxidant Power

Tufts University designed a test to measure
the antioxidant strength of food.

Grind food & spin, then toss in free radicals.

Strive for 3,500 “antioxidant points” per day
(serving size = ½ c.)
Tomato (189)

Benefits
– Provides 80% of American’s lycopene.
– Lycopene protects against prostate & lung cancer.
– 10 servings/week decreased prostate cancer 35%.

Cooking frees lycopene
–
–
–
–
Red tomatoes
Tomato soup
Pasta sauce
Pizza sauce
Yellow Corn (402)

Provides 2 carotenoids
– Lutein & zeaxanthin. Both lutein and
zeaxanthin found in macula of eye

Benefits
– Can help prevent loss of our sharp vision.
Macular (retina) degeneration is the
leading cause of blindness in elderly.
Orange (750)

Benefits
– Promotes heart health by reducing inflammation,
LDL cholesterol and risk of stroke.
– Juice & peel may help prevent cancer of stomach,
mouth, lung, breast and skin.
– Boosts enzymes that collect & remove
carcinogens & encourages cell death in diseased
cells.
Orange Peel: Study


Examined eating habits of 475
Arizonians
Those who used orange (or lemon)
peels in cooking – as little as once a
month – reduced their risks of
squamous cell carcinoma (type that can
spread) of the skin 50%.
Broccoli (890)

Benefits:
– Sulforaphane is a cancer fighter. Boosts enzymes
that collect & remove carcinogens & encourages
cell death in diseased cells.
– Carcinogen exposed rats: Those that received
Sulforaphane – had 60% less mammary tumors.
Cranberries (1750)

Benefits
– Prevents urinary tract infections
– The tannins prevent bacteria from adhering to the
walls of the bladder or urethra.
– 1 cup of cranberry juice or dried cranberries are
effective.
Strawberries (1540)

Benefits
– Protects the aging brain from oxidative
damage
– Ellagic acid in seeds prevent tumors of the
esophagus and colon
Strawberries: Study

Put rats in 100% oxygen for 48 hours and
their brain activity went from the equivalent of
18 years to 60 years old.

For 2 months, fed rats a strawberry-fortified
diet*.

Put strawberry fed rats in 100% oxygen for 48
hours & their brains looked normal– no aging.
*Same results with blueberries & spinach.
Ellagic Acid: Benefits

In lab studies shown to battle cancer by:
– Decreasing the activity of enzymes that create
certain carcinogens
– Boosting enzymes that “package” carcinogens to
be taken out
– Encouraging cell death in diseased cells
– Ellagic acid in strawberry, raspberry & blackberry
seeds
Raspberries (1220)

Benefits
– Same cancer protective compounds as
strawberries but 50% more ellagic acid.
– Most fiber of any fruit (double the fiber of
strawberries) – 8 g fiber per 1/2 cup.

Jamba Juice with berries!
Red Wine (985)

Benefits
– Helps reduce LDL (bad cholesterol)
oxidation
– Red wine has the most benefits
• White wine =196 points
– 5 oz/day for women
– 10 oz/day for men.
Spinach (1260)

Benefits
– One of the best foods to eat for your eyes!
Zeaxanthin & lutein protect from macular
(retina) degeneration- leading cause of
blindness in the elderly.
– Stops cataracts. Lens doesn‘t replace old
cells.
– Especially important for:
blue eyes – iris lets more damaging light in
people with family history
Kale ( 1770)

Benefits
– Destroys more “free radicals” than any other
vegetable!
– Stops cataracts - similar benefits as spinach.

Get kale fresh – it becomes bitter with age
Kale & Spinach: Study

Nurses Health Study with over 77,000
nurses over age 45 followed for 12
years

Ate spinach 2/week: 35% less cataracts

Ate kale at least 1/week: 40% less
cataracts
Blueberries (2400)

Benefits
– Destroys more “free radicals” than any
other fruit!
– Blueberries and strawberries have been
called the “brain-berries” because they
reverse some aspects of brain aging.

Eat fresh – cooking can damage the
antioxidant power
Blueberries*: Study

Study with aging rats (65–70 in human years)
with decline in memory, motor skills and
balance.

Two months fed a diet with 1-2% blueberries
(equiv ½-1 c blueberries).

“Rat Olympics”: Showed improvement in
coordination and balance. Kept balance
twice as long as control group.

How? Developed new brain cells quicker or
receptors on brain cells communicated better.
– *Same results with strawberries & spinach
Supplements

Studies show the health benefits are in food,
not supplements.

Beta-carotene:
– Two major studies on nearly 50,000 people found
it increased lung cancer rates in smokers.

Vitamin E:
– Study with 10,000 older men & women. After 4 ½
years it failed to cut the risk of heart disease or
stroke.
Phytochemicals!