Phytochemicals

I've mentioned before that it is good to eat foods (vegetables, berries, fruits) from all different colours. The reason why they are so good is because of its contents of phytochemicals which has a very strong antioxidant effect.

Phytochemicals are micronutrients but still something different then vitamins and minerals, they are instead pigments.

There are several thousands different sorts and the most of them are healthy but a few are not (for example in mushrooms). Most of the phytonutrients are in the peel and it's what's giving the food colours. This means that the stronger colour a vegetable, fruit etc has, the better it is. For example, dark blue/red grapes are much better than green ones. One example is almonds where the shell (right english word?) contains a lot of phytonutrients.

Phytochemicals can prevent cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases etc etc.. the list goes on!

Two major subgroups of phytochemicals are carotenoids and flavonoids and if I don't remember wrong, I think I've already written about carotenoids before? I'll look for it and if not then I'll post about that and also flavonoids.

Normally a lot of vitamins gets destroyed when you heat up your food but when it comes to phytochemicals, many will be more healthier in a way that it will be easier for your body to use. For example, lycopene which is a phytochemical (carotenoid) in tomatoes and if you heat the tomato up a little bit them there will be 13 times as much lycopene then in a raw tomato. However, don't heat up your food too much in high temperatures, low temperature in a short while is enough. Also many phytochemicals are fat soluble which means that for a optimal absorption you need to eat some fat with these foods.

I will post one more post tonight about the metabolism system. I'm a nerd so even though I'm sick and threw up this morning, I went to the store to buy a big paper where I will draw the 3 different metabolism systems on - molecule by molecule.. We'll see if I get done today, I have a feeling it will take a while. But I'm weirdly enough really excited!