"phytochemicals" news and stories

It's well known that many fruits and berries contain powerful antioxidants which are beneficial to your health. Antioxidants are part of the class of phytochemicals, also called phytonutrients, which are substances found in plants that provide certain not necessary, but healthful chemicals to aid the body in fighting disease, inflammation; and reducing cardio-vascular disease and cancer risk. What isn't so widely known is that many herbs and spices have even greater amounts of antioxidants by weight than do fruits. Some everyday herbs and spices that you can use are cinnamon, ginger, oregano, and turmeric. Wikipedia has a thorough list of phytochemicals found in many foods that you can use to add more of these nutrients to your diet. I knew there were other reasons why I like spices so much.

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A recent MSNBC story by dietitian Karen Collins explains why berries have recently been given 'superfood' status. Collins outlines berries' richness in antioxidants like vitamin C--a cup of strawberries has at least a whole RDA. She also touches on other cancer-inhibiting phytochemicals such as the anthocyanins found in red berries and pterostilbine, found in blueberries. The latter is similar to the often-hyped phytochemical found in grapes and red wine. Like and level-headed dietitian, Collins is quick to stress the importance of eating not just lots of berries, but a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and grains, all of which can provide phytochemicals that may work together to your benefit.