Carotenoids are natural pigments and over 600 naturally occurring ones have been identified to date.

The human body uses carotenoids to produce vitamin A, provide antioxidant protection and enhance immune system function. Beta-carotene from carrots, spinach and a few other fruits and vegetables are the most recognized of the phytonutrient carotenoids.

Flavonoids have been described as "nature's biological response modifiers" because of their ability to modify the body’s reaction to allergens, viruses and carcinogens. The healthful effects of fruit, vegetables, tea and even red wine have been attributed to flavonoid compounds rather than to known essential nutrients.

The best news of all is that dark chocolate (cocoa content of 70% or more) is a great source of flavonoids.

They do have a crucial role in cellulalar signaling. We covered phosphorus in the discussion on minerals and learned that it is important in maintaining pH balance and having a strong impact on nerve, muscle and kidney function.

A positive association between high levels of lignans in the body with reduced risks of prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease have been reported in some randomized controlled studies.

On the other hand, some studies showed very little correlation between intake of lignans and cancer prevention, especially breast cancer. The key is in the source of the lignan.

For example, whole flaxseeds or supplemented flaxseed showed significant positive results but flaxseed oil did not. One other consideration is that whole seeds may sometimes pass through the system without getting fully digested while ground seeds are more easily absorbed. So if using whole flaxseeds, chew your food throughly.

Also, many cancers take 20 years to manifest with noticeable symptoms; which begs the question as to the duration of the clinical trials.

Epidemiological studies conducted as far back as the eighties showed that these two phytonutrient chemical have anti-cancer properties.

"Gram-positive" just refers to a type of bacteria that can be stained dark blue or violet for examination under a microscope. It includes some nasty critters like bacillus, listeria, streptococcus, staphylococcus and clostridium.

Health wise, they exhibit beneficial effects on blood cholesterol levels, cancer, bone health and stimulation of the immune system as well as having antioxidant properties.

They find heavy use as commercial flavoring agents. Sulfides and thiols have antioxidant properties that may enhance our body’s ability to remove potentially harmful compounds from pesticides or mercury in food.

Specific foods high in sulfides include garlic, onions, scallions, broccoli, cabbage, bok choy and collards.

They are also primary constituents of the essential oils of many types of plants and flowers and are used widely as natural flavor additives for food, as fragrances in perfumery, and in traditional and alternative medicines such as aromatherapy. Mostly they come from the resin of conifers such as pine trees and the name "terpene" is derived from "turpentine".

Phytosterols

There is some overlap between Phytosterols and some of the other phytochemical compounds but we will go into a short discussion here as if they are a separate class.

These are cholesterol-like compounds that are found mostly in unrefined vegetable oils, whole grains, nuts and legumes. Foods and beverages with added plant sterols or "stanols" are now available in many countries throughout the world.

Health claims for them are now allowed in a few countries. For some reason, our FDA hasn't figured out yet that something natural from a plant might actually have healing properties...so we will just stay away from saying that they do.

There are about 44 sterols known to exist in plants. The most abundant phytonutrient phytosterols are beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, campesterol and brassicasterol.

Beta-sitosterol is an essential nutrient representative of all the major plant sterols. It is found in pecans, saw palmetto, avocados, pumpkin seed, cashews, rice bran, wheat germ, corn oils, and soybeans, to name a few.

It has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol and one small study showed a positive effect on male hair loss in combination with Saw Palmetto. (photo)

In Europe beta-sitosterol plays a major role in the herbal treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) as well as the treatment of prostatic carcinoma and breast cancer. These possible benefits are still being investigated in the United States.

The early hunter-gatherer diets were rich in phytosterols, however, the content in the typical Western diet today is relatively low since plant sterols can be destroyed or removed by modern food processing methods.

For this reason, industrially processed foods likely contain less phytonutrient value and may thus be less beneficial than unprocessed foods. An absence or deficiency of essential phytochemicals in processed foods may contribute to increased risk of preventable diseases.

There is an exception to everything and Lycopene is the exception here. This essential phytonutrient present in tomatoes, is either unchanged in content or made more concentrated by processing it into juice or paste, maintaining good levels for bioavailability. So pour on the catsup.

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