Why You Need Phytonutrients

When we talk about wellness, usually we are referring to our state of well-being as it pertains to our quality of life. There are generally six agreed upon perspective on wellness; social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, occupational and physical.

Some studies on wellness also suggest looking at environmental and financial as additional dimensions. Wellness, much like health is a lifelong marathon. Wellness also requires a level of awareness of our surroundings and a commitment to making daily choices that are in our best interest.

Once upon a time it was thought that fats; proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals were all the nutrients necessary for growth and health maintenance. Now we know there’s another missing essential group of nutrients needed for optimal health known as phytonutrients, or phytochemicals.

These are the nutrients often concentrated in the outer skins of many fruits and vegetables. These phytochemicals are responsible for their color, scent, and flavor. Examples of foods rich in these nutrients include: tomatoes, red onions, green tea, grapes, red cabbages, sweet potatoes, etc.

Plant-based foods promote good health.

We have known for a while that plant-based foods are extremely beneficial to consume, and phytonutrients may be the reason why. Phytonutrients help the cells communicate better with each other, prevent mutations at a cellular level, anti-inflammatory, antioxidants and many other functions we are only beginning to understand. What we do know is they help fight cancer, heart disease and most chronic diseases in general. They have properties that are anti-aging, boost the immune system and generally promote health. Phytonutrients are compounds found in plants. They serve various functions in plants, helping to protect the plant’s vitality.

Best known phytonutrients

Fruits and vegetables are concentrated sources of phytonutrients. Since many phytonutrients also serve as the pigment that gives foods their deep hues, you can identify many phytonutrient-rich foods by looking for colorful foods; for example, look for foods that are dark in colors like blueberries, red cabbage, red onions, kale, collard and so forth.

Plants are not designed to be mobile; as a result they have developed their own form of protection against. Phytonutrients are chemical compounds in plants that protect it from invaders, pests, and environmental toxins. It is not just the vitamins and minerals that make vegetables highly nutritious. In general, it is the phytonutrients which help prevent disease and infection, and improve general wellness.

The best known phytonutrients are the carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, indoles, lignans and isoflavones. Each class of phytonutrients has different effects, the more varied the colors the better. This is because like other nutrients; different phytonutrients offer different benefits and work synergistically with each other. For example, flavonoids and carotenoids have more health promoting properties when they’re eaten together in the same food rather than when they are taken separately. It is always best to get your phytonutrients from fresh organic fruits and vegetables, but if you do not live in a highly all natural tropical environment, I highly recommend you get Moringa powder from

http://secretmoringa.com which will supply you with your daily spectrum of phytonutrients.