Health Benefit of Phytonutrient from Fruit

Strawberries contain high amounts of Phytonutrient which is nutrients derived from plant material.

“Phytochemicals are non-nutritive plant chemicals that contain protective, disease-preventing, compounds.”

Phytochemicals provide the plant with protection from disease, injuries from insects, drought, excessive heat, ultraviolet rays as well as poisons or pollutants in the air or soil.  Which also helps the plants immune system.

Phytonutrients  / Phytochemicals

Phytonutrients some of the Protective functions obtained from fruit are:

• Cancer fighting
• Helps prevent diabetes
• Fights against cardiovascular disease
• Hypertension
• They help prevent cell damage
• Prevent cancer cell replication
• Decreases cholesterol levels

Phytonutrient help provide an important human sterols known as Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).

• A hormone is produced in our adrenal glands
• Often called the ‘mother’ hormone
• Has the ability to convert itself into other hormones
• oestrogen
• testosterone
• progesterone
• corticosterone

“It is a precursor to all other hormones and active metabolites. Precursors are substances the body uses to produce other substances.”

DHEA in the body:

• Slow down the aging process
• Prevent and/or improve/reverse conditions such as:
• cancer
• heart disease
• memory loss
• obesity and
• osteoporosis

Food Processing destroys some of the food nutrients, removal of the skin also reduce some of the benefits obtained from the fruit.  It is best if you can eat fresh fruit / vegetables rather than cooking them.

Steamed vegetables reduces the amount of destruction provided by food processing.

Sources:

• Glyconutrientsreference – What Are Phytonutrients
• whfoods.org