How are phytonutrients important for health, and why are they called the next step beyond vitamins and minerals?
In the cover story “Better than Vitamins,” Newsweek asserted: It is whole foods…that pack the disease preventing wallop. That’s because they harbor a whole ratatouille of compounds that have never seen the inside of a vitamin bottle… The compounds are called phytochemicals… In the world where science merges with health, phytochemicals are the next big thing. The new stars of the health revolution are probiotics, antioxidants, nutraceuticals and phytonutrients loaded with disease preventing nutrients. Even the U.S. Congress joined the bandwagon. The 1994 Dietary Supplement Act states: “There is a link between the ingestion of certain nutrients or dietary supplements and the prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.” You’ve probably noticed the growing popularity of herbs and botanicals. People aren’t looking for megadoses of poorly absorbed isolated vitamins and minerals. They want health from functional nutrients in foods and plants.
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