Phytonutrients to the rescue!
These days, anyone would feel overwhelmed by all the different, often contradictory, health advice coming at us from every direction. But, over the years, we have consistently been advised to increase our daily intake of fruits and vegetables. What is evolving, however, is the quantity and level of detail we continue to learn about the nutritional benefits of the Earth's bounty.
It is well established that fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals, and that their lesser-known active biochemical components are called phytonutrients. This area of nutrition continues to develop in what phytonutrients can provide and how they act in the body. Below are some of the roles we have identified:
- Antioxidants: Phytonutrients help the body metabolize and neutralize free radical damage. Free radical damage occurs when we breathe, when we create energy, when we metabolize food, when our immune system fights invading microbes. Phytonutrients, as antioxidants, donate an electron to free radicals, thus neutralizing their ability to damage cells. (Circulating free radicals can lead to chronic and inflammatory conditions, including cancer, heart disease, and dementia.)
- Prebiotics: Beneficial gut bacteria use phytonutrients and one of their most well-known classes, polyphenols, as food. But this relationship between gut bacteria and phytonutrients is mutually beneficial: when these friendly creatures snack on phytonutrients, they create a more diverse microbiome. When the microbiome contains diverse strains and species of bacteria, the bioavailability and subsequent absorption of phytonutrients in our diet and supplements increase by 100%! As a result of this synergistic relationship, healthy microbes break down phytonutrients from our food using their own enzymes to form new metabolites and chemicals. Many of these are efficiently absorbed into the bloodstream, contributing to the overall health of the body.
- Antidepressants: Yes, you read that correctly. Studies indicate that phytonutrients can act as MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) when consumed regularly. MAOIs are used to treat anxiety and depression and cause a wide range of different side effects.
- Anti-aging: Now, this is a topic that grabs your attention! Phytonutrients increase mitochondrial production and longevity. What are mitochondria, you ask? Oh, just the powerhouses of every cell in your body, responsible for energy creation, metabolism, efficient DNA, and stem cell replication. The rate at which we age is a reflection of how our mitochondria age. To prevent this aging from occurring prematurely, we must provide our bodies with the appropriate nutrients. Phytonutrients are the easiest option—look at all the other roles they play!
- Natural “statins”: When fruits and vegetables make up a large part of our diet, we provide our bodies with what they need to regulate a number of systems, including our ability to process cholesterol in the blood. What our current medical system fails to recognize is that cholesterols (yes, both HDL and LDL) are essential for life. They are the basis of all our steroid hormones and help transport these hormones to and from the liver, and to their target organs. However, when LDL increases significantly, you need a dietary overhaul—which should be the first treatment for dyslipidemia. Increasing your phytonutrient intake helps improve the permeability of blood cell walls (their ability to properly contain and move blood), break down plaque that can exist on blood cell walls, improve overall oxygen circulation, and efficiently eliminate waste from the blood.
Well, you might be thinking that all sounds good, but how can I eat enough fruits and vegetables in my day (and do I have to quit my job to do it)? That's where supplements come in. Consider your diet and make an effort to include more plant-based meals. But for superior support, add a superfood supplement to your routine. Genuine Health's fermented organic gut superfoods+ includes 22 fermented superfoods and polyphenol-rich prebiotics; it offers all that and more. Just add a serving of fermented organic gut superfoods+ to your morning (or evening) drink.
by Dr. Katherine Kremblewski ND
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