Phytonutrient Treatments

Phytonutrients are naturally occurring chemical compounds in plants that are increasing being found to have profound medicinal and therapeutic effects on the human body. It is in the area of degenerative and age-related diseases that phytonutrients are becoming an accepted form of preventative and complementary medicine. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease may all be linked to our ignorance of the treatment potential that phytonutrients possess. Fortunately, the scientific community has caught the phytonutrient buzz, and many studies are now being conducted on specific fruits and vegetables and their phytonutrient compounds that may prove to be potent treatments for many of today's health concerns.

Types

There are as many types of phytonutrients as there are colors, smells and tastes in fruit and vegetables. However, some nutrients have already made their claim to fame in the public eye and are becoming household words. Lycopene is responsible for the bright red color of tomatoes and is showing potential in cancer prevention, according to the USDA. Isoflavones from soy reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers, and flavinoids from blueberries may reverse nerve cell aging, according to the USDA.

Cancer

Phytonutrients are compounds that have very specific effects on various cells and organ-functioning in the human body, and a wide variety of them have been found to affect cancerous cells. In a study published in the journal "Nutrition and Cancer" in September 2001, there is a strikingly large amount of natural phytonutrients that mediate cancer risk through their interactions with molecular processes that influence cancerous cells. The researchers mention selenium, found in garlic; resveratrol, found in grapes; and genistein, found in soybeans, as some of the most active phytonutrients in terms of cancer treatment. A phytonutrient treatment for cancer would include eating garlic with meals along with red wine or grape juice and using soy instead of red meat products whenever possible.

Heart Disease

Heart disease is a common health condition that many in the medical community link to dietary factors like fat intake and lack of adequate amounts of proper phytonutrients. In a study published in the "Journal of the American College of Cardiology" in May 2003, researchers gave a phytonutrient supplement called Juice Plus to volunteers who were also fed a high-fat meal intended to affect coronary health. They found that four weeks of supplementation with the phytonutrient supplement prevented the adverse coronary effects of the high-fat diet. Juice Plus is made up of the dehydrated concentrates of 17 different fruits, vegetable and grains including cranberry, tomato, acerola cherry and broccoli and is taken in two daily doses of two capsules each time with meals.

Brain Health

Many phytonutrients have been found to have profound beneficial effects on brain functioning and may even be a treatment to reverse age-related mental deterioration. A study published in "The Journal of Neuroscience" in September 1999 found that spinach, blueberries and strawberries possess antioxidant phytonutrients that can stop age-related declines in neural and cognitive functioning. The dosage for fresh fruit and vegetables in this study was 10-20 grams per kilogram of body weight per day of each food source, which would equal about a pound of fresh fruit and vegetables a day for an average person.

Potential

The potential for more phytonutrient treatments for a variety of diseases to be discovered in the future is high and almost inevitable. What we do know is that bright-colored and flavorful fresh fruits, vegetables and spices are the highest concentrated sources of phytonutrients and that a diet rich in these substances may be able to substantially prevent and even treat a variety of health conditions.