What’s real and what’s not…..

I really get annoyed when as a consumer, CNN and other news agency, puts out “exciting” headlines reporting some remarkable new discovery about potential health benefits from eating certain foods that contain “phytochemicals”. Next thing you know, food companies are jumping on top of this and releasing new claims about how their food is now healthier because it contains the newest “phytochemical” that is in the news. Obviously there are benefits of eating fruits and vegetables and they are the primary source of the phytochemical and phyto-nutrients. However, as with most reported health benefits, consumers would really benefit from information exact what studies have been done to support these findings, the population of the study subjects, and most importantly, whether there are any potential hazards of these substances in addition to the benefits.

First, some caution. Foods consist of thousands of different chemicals and each one has the potential of being beneficial, neutral or harmful to the body. Some may even be mixed: beneficial in some ways and harmful in others. To complicate matters further, some chemicals may exert different effects on different people or when taken in differing doses or at different life stages. All of these possibilities may not have yet to be clarified by science.

Since research on phytochemicals is in its infancy, and what is current today may be challenged a year from now by further studies, you should never commit to a certain chemical or vitamin because a single study reported its benefits. When considering concentrated supplements of phytochemicals, be aware that any normally beneficial substance, EVEN WATER, can be toxic when taken in too high a dose. Although most naturally occurring substances are assuredly safe for most healthy people when consumed in foods, virtually no safety studies exist to support the taking of any purified phytochemicals nor have safe dosages been established.

Having been in the field of nutrition for more than 10 years, it was that long ago that scientists believed that phytochemicals in foods played limited roles in humanb health. Phytochemicals functions were thought to include only their well known sensory properties such as taste, aroma, texture, and color. Thank phytochemicals for the burning sensation of hot peppers, the pungent flavors of onions an garlic and bitter tang of chocolate. Today, we recognize that some phytochemicals have profound effects on the body through such actiosn as acting as antioxidants, mimicking hormones, and altering blood constituents in ways that may protect against some disease. For example, cancer and heart disease are linked to processes involving oxygen (oxidation) in the body, and antioxidants are thought to oppose these actions in a good way.

The scientific path to discovery often begins when scientists notice that people with a diet rich in foods that contain a particular phytochemical rarely suffer from “disease X”. Researchers may then examine the diets of people with the condition to find out how much of the phytochemicals they consume. If the diet are low in the substance, the researchers perform laboratory experiments in which they expose animals or cell cultures to the phytochemicals and observe what happens to uncover plausible biological mechanisms for disease prevention. Ultimately, if the evidence warrants, scientists may perform clinical studies to evaluate effect of the substance on human beings.

So, let’s use an example that everyone is familiar with. Historically, diets containing whole grain, fruits, tea, and red wine have been reputed to possess health promoting qualities. Science has revealed that these foods and beverages all have something in common: phytochemicals of the glavonoid family. Population studies spanning many countries indicates that deaths from cancer, heart disease and heart attacks are less common where these foods are plentiful in the diet, where tea is a beverage, or where red wine is consumed in moderation. Many flavonoids act as antioxidants and may protect against cancers and heart disease by this mechanism. Nevertheless, a recent review of the literature concludes that more evidence is needed before any claims can be made for flavonoids themselves as the protective factor in foods, particularly when they are extracted from foods or herbs and sold as supplements.

Research suggests that one flavonoid of grapes and red wine in particular may have disease fighting qualities; however, the amount of this and other flavonoids in the wine may be too low to benefit human health. The same flavonoids has been credited with greatly extending life of YEAST cells, but no one know if such an effect is possible in HUMAN. Because flavonoids often impart a bitter taste to foods, food producers may refine away natural flavonoids to please consumers who generally prefer milder flavors. To produce white grape juice or white wine, makers remove the red flavonoid rich grape skins to lighten the flavor and the color of the product, while greatly reducing its flavonoid content.

Whether or not research fonrims the cancer fighting and heart defending nature of the flavonoids, you as the consumer should seek out a variety of whole fruits, gevetables and other plant derived foods with their flavonoids intact in place of their more refined counterparts. Beyond any doubt, such diets are consistently associated with low rates of diseases. Flavonoids supplements have not been proved effective or even safe. As for red wine, the jury is still out. The potential health benefits may not be worth alcohol’s immediate and substantial risks.

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