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Plants as Nutrients
It is no longer appropriate to consider foods based on their nutrient
and fiber content alone, but to also consider the spectrum of
phytochemicals present. Leafy vegetables and other fruits and vegetables
contain a mixture of compounds called "phytochemicals" which protect
against a wide range of diseases. Phytochemicals are entering mainstream
nutrition as dietary supplements, in the fortification of foodstuffs,
and as naturally enriched phytochemical foodstuffs (Messina
and Messina, 1996).
Protective phytochemicals
Phytochemicals and food components have been attributed to the
prevention of four of the leading causes of death in the United States.
These are cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.
The National Cancer Institute attributes the diet as contributing to 75%
of cancer deaths and up to 80% of cancer incidence. Certainly these
numbers warrant a closer look at the complete impact of food, this
simple yet powerful component of life. An obviously inexpensive source
of cancer preventive phytochemicals is to simply enrich their presence
in certain foodstuffs (Ip
et al. 1994a, 1994b; Messina and Messina 1996).
