What Are Phytochemicals?
Phytochemicals are bioactive compounds that are naturally found in plants.
If you didn’t know, “Phyto” means “plant” coming from the greek word “Phyton.”
This should indicate to you that the most abundant sources of phytochemicals comes from an array of plant-based options.
Anyways, these chemical substances play an important role in plant growth and health, protecting them from pests, diseases, and environmental stresses.
As a result of their protective functions, phytochemicals can also offer a range of potential health benefits when consumed by humans (that’s us!).
They are not classified as essential nutrients, but their presence in a balanced diet has the potential significantly enhance overall well-being, so they still are fairly important.
Numerous studies have suggested that these compounds possess various biological activities which can contribute to the prevention of chronic diseases.
(Literally too many to even have me list an egregious number of citations here. See the bottom of this post for the roughly 5 or 6 I paste from my indexes. If you want more than that, go to the bottom of those articles and follow their hundreds of citations.)
To summarize mostly all of them, key health benefits associated with phytochemicals include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties.
What does that mean? Here is a small bullet point list:
- Antioxidants are compounds that help neutralize harmful “free radicals” in the body, reducing oxidative stress.
- Anti-inflammatory, refers to anything that reduces or prevents inflammation.
- Anti-Cancer properties refers to the ability of compounds to combat, arrest, or prevent cancer risk/proliferation.
Antioxidants are useful in lowering the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and certain cancers.
Anti-inflammatory aspects of phytochemicals can help mitigate the underlying processes that lead to various diseases, which is great for overall health and longevity.
Anti-Cancer…. is exactly as it sounds.
Common dietary sources of these compounds include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. (Again, all plants, Phyton, remember? greek for plant.)
There’s also supplements for nearly every single one of them.
Those posts will probably circle back to this, and this page may get expanded into including them all.
Who knows?
What I DO know is that I want to continue blabbing on and talk more about phytochemicals.
I would like to specifically focus on flavonoids, but we will also touch on some phenolic compounds.
They are two prominent classes of phytochemicals and are abundant in foods such as berries, apples, citrus fruits, onions, tea, and red wine.
There’s loads more, but that’s the general sort of over-view.
I’ll dig more in-depth below and break them down into sub-categories slightly to start your research.
Understanding Phenolics: Key Characteristics and Benefits
It’s going to be a little bit science-y so I’ll break out the old
“blue-hyperlink is a click-here for more information.” tool for you guys.
To start: Phenolic compounds are a diverse range of bioactive compounds found extensively in plants. They are characterized by the presence of one or more hydroxyl groups bonded directly to an aromatic hydrocarbon group.
These compounds can be classified into several categories, a few include flavonoids, phenolic acids, polyphenols (multiple phenol groups in their chemical structure) and stilbenes, each contributing uniquely to plant defense mechanisms and offering various health benefits to humans.
The structural diversity of phenolics allows them to interact with biological systems in different ways, making them essential to both plant physiology and our human health.
Research has demonstrated that phenolic compounds are potent antioxidants, playing a crucial role in neutralizing free radicals in the body.
They are known for their anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer properties as well.
Similarly, phenolic acids like ellagic acid have shown promise in inhibiting cancer cell growth and enhancing overall health.
Common dietary sources of phenolic compounds include fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beverages like tea and red wine.
Fruits such as apples, berries, and grapes are rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids, while vegetables like onions and spinach provide an array of these beneficial compounds.
Also, small bonus, the fermentation process in tea and wine not only enriches these beverages with phenolics but also enhances their bioavailability, making them a valuable addition to a healthy diet.
Flavonoids: Nature’s Colorful Medicinal Compounds
Typically when it comes to phytochemicals I see more focus placed on the flavonoids.
That’s where the bulk of this is going to lead into.
(If you want more a specific section added to this post, or entirely new post dedicated to one specific sub-group that isn’t currently on the blog: email me at damon@howeverysupplementworks.com or comment below here)
Flavonoids are a diverse group of phytonutrients found prominently in fruits and vegetables.
(also, we can see a sub-category of flavonoids, called flavanols in certain beverages, I’ll bring up a few at the end. If you frequent “weight loss” supplements you’ve likely seen it.)
Flavonoids are known for their vivid colors and myriad of potential health benefits.
These compounds play a crucial role in the plant kingdom, not only contributing to the aesthetic appeal of various foods but also serving vital functions in plant defense against pests and pathogens.
The significance of flavonoids extends far beyond their role in nature; they possess numerous properties that may enhance human health.
There are several classes of flavonoids, each with unique characteristics and health-promoting attributes. Among the most studied are flavones, an example of which would be hesperidin, which is primarily found in citrus fruits.
Research indicates that hesperidin may help support cardiovascular health by promoting blood circulation and providing anti-inflammatory effects.
Similarly, flavonols, with quercetin being the most notable representative, are recognized for their potential to combat oxidative stress and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.
Another very important subgroup includes anthocyanins, which are responsible for the red, purple, and blue hues in many fruits and vegetables.
When you hear about anthocyanins, you’ll typically see in context to blueberries and blackberries.
Cyanidin is one such anthocyanin that has garnered attention due to its ability to promote anti-cancer effects as well as enhance cognitive function and antioxidant properties.
The bioactivity of these flavonoids stems from their antioxidant capabilities, ability to modulate cellular signaling pathways, and even potential to influence gene expression.
(if you would like more conversations on genetics/epigenetics/etc please let me know.)
Numerous studies have demonstrated that the regular consumption of flavonoid-rich foods can be linked to improved health outcomes, including better heart health, reduced inflammation, and enhanced immune response.
Incorporating Phytochemicals into Your Diet
Given the numerous health benefits associated with phytochemicals/flavonoids, I’d say it’s a good idea to incorporate a diverse bunch into your daily diet.
I think it was Dr. Neal Barnard that said “eat the rainbow” and that’s honestly a pretty stellar way to look at it.
(In terms of eating foods that aren’t coloured by food dyes… just food that looks like one of the rainbows colours when cooked or made raw.)
Ideally a person would aim to fill half of their plate with a colorful variety of produce, as different fruits and vegetables contain unique combinations of phytochemicals.
Particularly rich sources of phenolics include berries such as blueberries, strawberries, and blackcurrants. These fruits can be enjoyed fresh, added to smoothies, or used as toppings for oatmeal.
Incorporating vegetables like onions, spinach, and artichokes into your meals also helps boost your intake of these beneficial little guys.
In addition to fruits and vegetables, whole grains such as quinoa, barley, and even brown rice are excellent choices for sources of phenolics.
Also real quick, while I wrap this up, Beverages!! (I didn’t forget.)
Drinks offer another opportunity to introduce phytochemicals into your diet.
Smoothies can also be enhanced with leafy greens, mixed berries, and spices such as ginger or turmeric, both known for their antioxidant properties (don’t start the banana in smoothies debate here please and thank you.)
Green tea and black tea are particularly noted for their high flavonoid content. I’m not MUCH of a tea drinker, but I do not turn my nose at hibiscus tea.
(although, if you are familiar with green tea, you have probably heard of EGCG)
Sipping teas regularly can provide a significant boost in your intake of these compounds.
Similarly, I know that most people are enticed with red wine (in moderation, ofcourse.)
This is because it has been recognized for its phenolic compounds, while colorful juices made from pomegranates and acai berries are also worth considering if you don’t partake in alcohol.
(I’m here to say that blueberry wine is more worthwhile imo, but also I’ll just work to get my resverartol post done sooner so I can link it here.)
For meals rich in phytochemicals, consider recipes that combine various rich sources. A vegetable stir-fry that includes bell peppers, broccoli, and snap peas, paired with brown rice, is one option.
Last plug before my citations, don’t forget the addition of bioperine/black pepper when aiming to get the most out of turmeric. (Click here for the turmeric post. the above blue-text links to bioperine.)
Phytochemicals: wrapping up and Citations
Hopefully this was a decent insight into phytochemicals for you.
It’s not INCREDIBLY indepth, but like I always say, if you want something super in-depth, email me or comment and I absolutely will make that priority #1.
Here’s a slew of citations, somewhat in an organized format regarding phytochemicals we talked about and their benefits.
- Health Benefits and Future Research of Phytochemicals: A Literature Review – PubMed
- The Role of Dietary Phytochemicals: Evidence from Epidemiological Studies – PMC
- Major Phytochemicals: Recent Advances in Health Benefits and Extraction Method – PMC
- Discovering Health Benefits of Phytochemicals with Integrated Analysis of the Molecular Network, Chemical Properties and Ethnopharmacological Evidence
- Insight into the Biological Roles and Mechanisms of Phytochemicals in Different Types of Cancer: Targeting Cancer Therapeutics
Here’s some solely about flavonoids
Also, feel free to check out the rest of the blog for more regarding general knowledge here.
Or if you have a specific supplement in mind, check the specific category section relevant to your interest.