Phytochemicals are chemicals in plant foods that may be important for health, but are not recognized as essential nutrients. A single fruit or vegetable may have hundreds of phytochemicals. Plants produce phytochemicals to protect themselves, and emerging science suggests that these chemicals can protect health and prevent disease in humans, too. More than 1,000 phytochemicals have been isolated and identified, and there are likely thousands more. Some seem to have antioxidant effects. Some seem to be antibacterial. Others act as hormones or affect enzyme functioning. Some may change DNA instructions in cancer cells. Others may bind to the walls of cells, strengthening them and protecting them from damage.
Researchers are still identifying phytochemicals and working to understand their roles in human health. Some major classes already discovered are flavonoids, carotenoids, and isoflavones. Genistein, a plant estrogen, is an isoflavone. It is similar to the estrogen hormone in people. Drs. Jirtle and Waterland joined a research team that used genistein in a 2006 agouti mice experiment and discovered that it, too, could change the coat color of baby mice and reduce their risk of obesity when it was fed to mothers during pregnancy. Scientists are still researching whether genistein might protect people from certain diseases and whether high amounts are good or bad for humans. Few foods, except soy, provide high levels of genistein.
Image-Picture of Phytochemical fruit & vegetable
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