Phytochemicals

1
Phytochemicals

• Phyto plants
• Compounds in plants (other than vitamins
  minerals), that protect them from pests, viruses,
  bacteria and excessive sun damage.
• Only in plant foods. Reason why recommended to
  eat 5-9 servings of fruits veggies/day.
• Antioxidants are phytochemicals that decrease
  free radicals.

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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.

3
Antioxidant Power

• Tufts University designed a test to measure the
  antioxidant strength of food.
• Grind food spin, then toss in free radicals.
• Evidence is clear - people with most antioxidant
  intake from food show the fewest effects of
  aging.
• Strive for 3,500 antioxidant points/day
  (serving size ½ c.)

4
Tomato (189)

• Benefits
• Provides 80 of Americans lycopene.
• Lycopene protects against prostate lung cancer.
  
• 10 servings/week decreased prostate cancer 35.
• Cooking frees lycopene
• Tomato soup
• Pasta sauce
• Pizza sauce

5
Yellow Corn (402)

• Benefits
• Can help prevent loss of our sharp vision.
  Macular (retina) degeneration is the leading
  cause of blindness in elderly.

6
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 the detoxifying enzymes encourages cell
  death in abnormal cells.

7
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.

8
Broccoli (890)

• Benefits
• Sulforaphane is a cancer fighter Boosts the
  detoxifying enzymes encourages cell death in
  diseased cells.
• Carcinogen exposed rats Those that received
  sulforaphane had 60 less mammary tumors.

9
Cranberries (1750)

• Benefits
• The tannins prevent bacteria from adhering to the
  walls of the bladder or urethra.
• 1 cup of cranberry juice or dried cranberries are
  effective.

10
Strawberries (1540)

• Benefits
• Protect the aging brain from oxidative damage
• Ellagic acid in seeds prevent tumors of the
  esophagus and colon

11
Strawberries Study

• Put rats in 100 oxygen for 48 hours and their
  brain activity went from the equiv of 18 years to
  60 years old.
• Fed rats for 2 months on strawberry-fortified
  diet.
• Put strawberry fed rats in 100 oxygen for 48
  hours their brains looked normal no aging.
• Same results with blueberries spinach.

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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

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Raspberries (1220)

• Benefits
• Same cancer protective compounds as strawberries
• Most fiber of any fruit (double the fiber of
  strawberries) 8 g fiber per 1/2 cup.
• Jamba Juice with berries!

14
Red Wine (985)

• Benefits
• Helps reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) oxidation
• Red wine has the most benefits (white196 pts)
• 5 oz/day for women
• 10 oz/day for men.

15
Spinach (1260)

• Benefits
• The best food to eat for your eyes! Zeaxanthin
  lutein protect from macular (retina)
  degeneration- leading cause of blindness in the
  elderly.
• Stops cataracts. Lens doesnt replace old cells.
• Especially important for
• blue eyes iris lets more damaging light in
• people with family history

16
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

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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

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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

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Blueberries Study

• Study with aging rats (6570 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

20
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.

21
Phytochemicals!