Not Getting An Adequate Amount Of Chemicals In Your Diet? Eat Raw Food To Make Sure You Are!

Are you consuming enough chemical compounds in your diet? Are you consuming an adequate amount of chemical compounds like: Polyphenols, Phytates, Sulfides and Thiols, Terpenes, Phenols, Isothiocyanates and Indoles, Saponins and Cyclic Compounds? Sound Crazy? It's true! The American diet is seriously lacking in all of these phytochemicals.
So what are phytochemicals? Phyto is from the Greek word for plant. So phytochemicals are organic compounds from plants. Most prefer the word phytonutrient. It is said that Hippocrates used a tea made from willow tree leaves to reduce fever. Extracts, from willow bark and spiraea (meadowsweet) have the ingredient salicylic acid. In 1852 an early of asprin was synthesized from salicylic acid. So, Phytochemicals or Phytonutrients are natural chemicals from plants like fruits and vegetables thought to promote health and have been used in healing for centuries. Recently population studies attribute eating more raw fruits and vegetables with lower risks of chronic disease, some cancers and heart disease.
Phytonutrients like Carotenoids have been linked to lowered risk of stroke and Flavonoids have been linked to lower risk of heart disease. Lutein is concentrated in the macula. The natural elevated amount of Lutein is thoughtto keep the eyes safe from oxidation and damage from high--energy blue light. Diindolylmethane is being studied as an aide against repeated respiratory tumors, cervical dysplasia, and prostate cancer. A phytonutrient compound from the Pacific yew tree eventually became an important cancer drug paclitaxel. So, phytonutrients are significantly important in medicine. Phytonutrient interest in the medical field is rising. Additional information on the positive benefits of phytonutrients to human health is being discovered everyday. But, much more research will need to be completed before increased consumption of phytonutrients will be considered as prevention for any disease.
Perhaps there is inadequate evidence for some that documents the positive health benefits of phytonutrient rich foods. However for now, it seems that an effective plan for reducing risk of chronic ailments, cancer and heart disease could be to increase consumption of phytonutrient--rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, legumes, grains and teas. Many, it is said, phytonutrients are strong antioxidants that help resist the damage caused to our bodies' cells over time leading to premature aging and chronic disease. Unfortunately, Americans just do not eat an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables or an adequate variety of fruits and vegetables, which could be resulting in phytonutrient deficiencies causing serious widespread health problems. The good news is that media and consumer interest in phytonutrient--rich foods is way ahead of the curve.
A few phytonutrients have been researched. However, estimates of the still undiscovered and unstudied phytonutrients are in the tens of thousands. So, how can you improve your chances of consuming a good variety and quantity of these natural health--improving nutrients? Well that’s easy! Add fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables to your diet and sample foods in all the hues of the rainbow. Phytonutrients are the colors in food. So to get a variety of phytonutrients, eat a variety of hues. For example, bell peppers come in red, yellow, green and purple. Select green and white teas and eat purple, red and green grapes. Even the phytonutrient composition of fruits, vegetables and nuts can change between different varieties. Broaden your color spectrum, broaden your variety and broaden the types of fresh plant foods and you will maximize your odds of getting more of the phytonutrients you need.
Freshly harvested plant foods are filledwith the nutrients you need. But, a word of caution, though there are someexceptions such as tomatoes, many phytonutrients are ruined or removed from foods by modern processing techniques and even cooking. What's the answer? Eat raw food! Eat raw vegatables, nuts and fruits to get the maximum benefits from your phytonutrients. Eating raw foods of varied colors, kinds and varieties is your best bet to get the health enhancing, health conserving and healing benefits of these wonderful natural foods.