Diet has a profound effect on our health and well-being, and a healthy, well-balanced diet is essential to good health, providing nourishment and essential nutrients and trace elements, as well as psychological comfort (satisfaction / satiation). The food and water that we consume contains compounds that are both protective of, and harmful, to human health. Many fruits and vegetable, for example, contain compounds that protect against cancer and other diseases (e.g., EGCG, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, present in green tea; lycopene, present in tomatoes) while some foods contain harmful substances, that adversely affect our health (e.g the fungal mycotoxin AFB1, aflatoxin B1, found in mouldy grains; chemical contaminant in foods, e.g. the endocrine disruptor BPA, bisphenol A, a contaminant in food packaging).
Dietary substances that benefit and protect of human health health are loosely referred to as being chemoprotective (chemoprotectants; chemoprotection), chemopreventive (chemopreventives; chemoprevention), functional foods, nutraceuticals and phytochemicals (phytonutrients):
Chemoprevention: The use of drugs, chemicals, vitamins or other substance in the diet or to prevent or reduce the incidence of disease (generally, referring to but not limited to cancer). Many chemopreventive agents, both natural and synthetic, have been identified. Some of the most promising compounds are found in vegetables and fruits. For example, dithiothiones (compounds found in cruciferous vegetables) are potential chemopreventive agents. Tamoxifen, the first chemoprevention drug to receive FDA approval, is the most well-known chemopreventive agent.
Functional foods: Functional foods, as defined by the Institute of Medicine in Washington, are "those foods that encompass potentially healthful products including any modified food or ingredient that may provide a health benefit beyond the traditional nutrients it contains." Functional foods can include foods like cereals, breads and beverages which are fortified with vitamins, herbs or nutraceuticals.
Nutraceutical: A food or food product that provides or allegedly provides health and medical benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease. A nutraceutical may be a naturally nutrient-rich or medicinally active food, such as garlic or soybeans, or it may be a specific component of a food, such as the omega-3 fish oil that can be derived from salmon and other cold-water fish.
Phytochemical: The active health-protecting compounds that are found as components of plants. Currently, the terms "phytochemical" and "phytonutrient" are being used interchangeably to describe those plant compounds which are thought to have health-protecting qualities. The antioxidant, immune boosting and other health promoting properties of active compounds in plants are being investigated. Phytonutrients or phytochemicals that are being studied presently include (and are not limited to) terpenes, carotenoids, limonoids, and phytosterols.
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Pomegranates provide amazing protection against tissue damage and inflammation, and pomegranate juice provides potent prostate protection. Grape seed extract may protect against leukemia.
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Nutraceuticals, Chemoprotectants in Food
Beta-carotene |
Hazardous Substances in Food
Aflatoxins (AFB1, etc.) |
For additional information or fully-confidential discussions regarding better understanding of diet, health, and other lifestyle issues that affect or potentially affect our health, please contact me at mail @ persagen.com.