My Herbs 1

Power of
Plant Chemistry
Phytochemicals, also known as plant pigments because of
their diversity of colors, are biologically active compounds
present in plants. They are also called protective plant
chemicals thanks to their effects. Many of them are beneficial
to human health in a variety of ways.
The group of phytochemicals contains
a wide variety of chemical
compounds. So far, we have identified
around 12,000 phytochemicals. The
exact effects of most of these compounds
have not been discovered yet,
and it is likely that the majority of
them still remain unknown to us. Some
experts estimate that one piece of fruit
may contain from dozens to hundreds
of phytochemicals. This may be the
reason why dietary supplements cannot
replace the intake of whole natural
foods.
SUPERFOODS
Phytochemicals can be found in all
foods of plant origin – for example,
fruits, vegetables, nuts, green tea, cocoa
beans, curcuma and many other superfoods.
Unlike plants, animal sources of
food do not contain any phytochemicals,
and that is why one’s diet should include
plant foods as frequently as possible.
70 MY HERBS MAGAZINE