Consume a rainbow of phytonutrients. Though many phytonutrients have scientifically established health benefits and support the body in many ways, they are not yet considered to be "essential" nutrients. Eating greater amounts of plant-based foods rich in phytonutrients has been associated with increased health and longevity. That's why national health organizations recommend eating 5 to 13 servings of plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables daily. Consuming a "rainbow" of phytonutrients may increase the dietary value due to collective influences on health. Sadly, because Americans typically eat only 1.5 servings of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit daily, it's estimated that most Americans fall short in all 5 major colors of phytonutrients:
- Green (spinach, green tea, peppers, spirulina): epigallocatechin gallate, indoles, isothiocyanate, lutein, zeaxanthin, isoflavones, sulphoraphane
- Red (cranberries, beets, raspberries): anthocyanidins, lycopene, betalains, ellagic acid, resveratrol
- White (garlic, onions, pears): indoles, allicin, quercetin, glucosinolates
- Blue/purple (blueberries, grapes): anthocyanidins, flavonoids, phenolics, resveratrol
- Yellow/orange (carrots, squash, lemons): alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, hesperidin
Choose organic. Because phytonutrients protect plants, foods grown without pesticides have been shown to contain more health-promoting phytonutrients. Organic fruits and vegetables have also been shown to provide higher content of essential vitamins and minerals than their conventionally grown counterparts.
Call today to make an appointment to learn more about ways you can help ensure you're getting a beneficial array of phytonutrients in a nutritional plan for healthy aging.