Phytonutrients

Plants are the main source of nutrition in our diet and have a range of health benefits, yet many Western diets still rely too heavily on animal foods. Growing evidence suggests that the emphasis on animal foods may be associated with increased cancer and cardiovascular disease rates, while increasing intake of mainly plant foods may help prevent some of these diseases. In fact, plants can meet almost all of our dietary needs, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates and lipids, as well as micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Many other phytochemicals, including carotenoids, polyphenols, and phytoestrogens, while not essential, have also been shown to be beneficial to human health. Phytonutrients covers the role of plants in the human diet and demonstrates the beneficial effects of many other components of plants beyond the obvious nutritional elements such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.