Did you know that eating a plant-based diet filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other plant foods can help lower your risk for many cancers? In addition to cancer-fighting minerals and vitamins, plant foods contain thousands of beneficial natural chemicals called phytonutrients.
Phytonutrients (also referred to as phytochemicals) serve various functions in plants, helping to protect the plant’s vitality. For example, some phytonutrients protect the plant from UV radiation while others protect it from insect attack. Not only do phytonutrients award benefit to plants, but they also provide benefits to people who enjoy plant foods. That’s because of their health-boosting properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and liver-health-promoting activities.
Whole Foods First
According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, “It is the synergy of compounds working together in the overall diet that offers the strongest cancer protection.” Therefore, combining real food into a healthful eating pattern is more beneficial than loading up on individual nutrients. In fact, some nutrient supplementation trials have not shown any benefit to taking these substances in a pill format. There are exceptions of course, such as the need for vitamin or mineral supplementation to help correct deficiencies (such as vitamin D).
How to Start
Adopting a more plant-based diet requires a change in thinking. It is not easy to alter eating habits. Start by gradually adding more fruit, vegetables, whole grains and beans to your diet. A plant-based diet is typically less dense in calories and contains more fiber, which may help those trying to shed some extra pounds.
Look for Colorful Foods
Fruits and vegetables are concentrated sources of phytonutrients; other plant foods, such as whole grains, legumes/beans, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices, also contain phytonutrients. Since many phytonutrients also serve as the pigment that gives foods their deep hues, you can identify many of these beneficial foods by looking for colorful plants. For example, look for foods in the following colors:
• Blue or purple, like blueberries, blackberries and red cabbage (rich in flavonoids)
• Yellow-orange, like carrots, winter squash, papaya and melon (rich in beta-carotene)
• Red or pink, like tomatoes, guava and watermelon (rich in lycopene)
• Green, like kale, spinach and collard greens (rich in chlorophyll)
But Don’t Ignore Some Off-White Foods
Yet, since not all phytonutrients give color, it’s important not to overlook some off-white foods, such as garlic, onions and leeks, which contain powerful sulfur-containing phytonutrients.
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