Phytochemicals

Different approaches to defining and classifying phytochemicals reflect the fact that nutrition is a developing science.

For example, some nutritionists also include essential nutrients such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in their list of phytochemicals, as they are protective compounds found in plants.

This is confusing if you regard phytochemicals as active non-nutrients, and fatty acids as nutrients, especially as these fatty acids also occur in some animal foods such as fish oils.

Phytochemicals (‘phyto’ means ‘plant’) occur naturally only in plant foods, and have been shown to benefit the cardiovascular system, delay the ageing process and help prevent cancer and some chronic diseases.

They are sometimes referred to as phytonutrients, supernutrients or new nutrients.

Most phytochemicals are powerful anti-oxidants, which destroy free radicals. This protects the body from free radical damage associated with cardiovascular disease, cancer, age-related blindness and arthritis.

Some phytochemicals are also credited with hormonal action or with specific protective functions against heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and degeneration of brain and nerve cells.

Many phytochemicals are compounds which give food its flavour, or pigments responsible for the red, yellow or purple colouring of foods such as tomatoes, carrots and beetroot.

Foods from animal sources also contain groups of disease-preventing nutrients, which are sometimes referred to as zoochemicals. They have not yet been researched as widely as phytochemicals.