One of these potent chemicals is phytochemical. These are chemicals that occur naturally in plants and have been used as therapeutic drugs for centuries. For instance, the white willow tree has known pain-reliving properties, which were later synthetically manufactured to produce aspirin.
The real excitement behind these power foods are their potential to prevent diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. Even though these chemicals may sometimes be found in supplements, they may not work in this form. Their powers sometimes lie in working in conjunction with other food combinations, such as fiber.
How to Choose
To get a wide array of these preventive chemicals, nutritionist advise that you should eat a colorful rainbow of fruits and vegetables.
For instance, lycopene, a chemical that has been identified as helping to fend off prostrate cancer and other cancers of the digestive tract, is what turns tomatoes bright red. This chemical is part of the carotenoids, which are a a class of yellow, orange, red, and purple pigments that are widely distributed in nature.
As for the power food blueberries, it gets its blue color from the phytochemical anthocyanin. This chemical, which helps to combat free radicals that have been associated with heart disease and cancer, is also been shown to boost brainpower.
Power Foods
Besides tomatoes and blueberries, here are some more power foods.
Apples Little surprise here. Apples are a good source of quercetin, a phytochemical that helps to fight heart disease and cancer. Unpeeled, they are also a good source of fiber, which helps with your digestion and to lower cholesterol.
Artichokes This vegetable contains silymarin, an antioxidant used in skin care formulas, which may help to reduce the risk of cancer. It also acts as a digestive aid that provides nutrition to health-promoting bacteria in the intestinal tract.
Broccoli This vegetable is one of the heavy weights when it comes to nutritional value. Besides having lots of vitamin C and beta-carotene, which may help to reduce the risk of colon cancer, it also has indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane, compounds that may help protect against breast cancer.
Cantaloupe This melon is full of vitamin C and beta-carotene, both of which are powerful antioxidants. Plus it also includes an ample supply of potassium, which helps to lower blood pressure.
Garlic The pungent flavor of garlic comes from sulfur compounds. It is these compounds that also help to lower bad cholesterol and may even help to reduce your risk of stomach and colon cancer, and may also help to prevent cancer-cell growth.
Nuts Nut are a great source of mono and polyunsaturated fats, fats that have been shown to help lower heart disease. Plus, nuts are rich in vitamin E, which helps to reduce your risks of eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
This tasty fish is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acid, which helps to lower the risk of heart disease. This acid has also been reported to have possible anti-cancer effects.
Spinach This leafy vegetable contains lutein and zeaxanthin, a carotenoid that has also been shown to offer some protection against macular degeneration, a medical condition that results in a loss of vision in the center of the your visual field. Plus, studies have shown that spinach may also help reverse some signs of aging.
John_C_White
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