Artipot - Free Ezine Articles
 
Home » Health

Unearth The Basics Of Dietary Science

By Christina F Ramirez
Nov 5, 2009
Now a days there are a all kinds of "buzz words" when it comes to nourishment. Science has found an profusion of nutrients that were not recognized before. It is simple to get mystified when you hear such words as phytonutrients, polyphenols, carotenoids, anthocyanins and Omega fatty acids. What do they all mean?

Everybody is familiar with protein, fat and carbohydrates as they are just the straightforward classifications of food. Break them down and there are the vital vitamins such as A, C, E, D, E and the B complex and the crucial minerals such as calcium, zinc, chromium and magnesium. But science has found that there are also hundreds of "micronutrients". These are nutrients that are essential in slighter quantities but are still critical. This would include the phytonutrients, polyphenols, carotenoids, anthocyanins and Omega fatty acids.

A phytonutrient is a organically occurring, non-vitamin, non-mineral component of food that offers important health benefits. Some critical types of beneficial phytonutrients are polyphenols, carotenoids, anthocyanins and phytoestrogens.

Polyphenols are a class of antioxidant. They were in earlier times referred to as vitamin P but additional research confirmed that these substances are incredibly diverse from a usual vitamin. Polyphenols have antiallergenic and anti-inflammatory properties. Polyphenols are found in berries, red wine, coffee, dark chocolate, pomegranates and more.

Did you know carotenoids are found in the orange foods such as pumpkin, carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes and tomatoes? It is essentially the orange-red pigment that lends the brilliant colors to these foods. Carotenoids are a vitamin A precursor, which means that our bodies are able to construct vitamin A from them. Carotenoids protect us from the destructive effects of aging and many cancers.

The pigment that makes the deep blue to purple colors of nature is called anthocyanins. This is the pigment responsible for the deep almost black purple of a blueberry and a blackberry and the bright purple of purple cabbage. Anthocyanins are found in high dilution in red wine, berries and more. They provide potential health benefits against neurological diseases and aging, cancers, inflammation, diabetes and bacterial infections according to laboratory evidence.

Omega Fatty Acids are referred to as essential fatty acids because our bodies cannot produce them and we must receive them from our diets. They include Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9. We need a valuable ratio of 1:1 for these vital fats, yet the modern diet provides too much Omega 6 and not enough Omega 3. Therefore, we need to supplement or deliberately get Omega 3 from our diets. Omega 3 Fatty Acids are crucial for healthy cell membranes, and they are critically essential for the good development of the eyes, a strong cardiovascular system and a high functioning immune system.

There are increasingly more benefits that are being exposed about these vital micronutrients every day. In order to get these important nutrients in your diet you need to consume a array of good for you foods every day.
About the Author
Please Rate:

Rating:

(Average: Not rated)
Views:13 
Print Article Email Article Reprint Article Comments (0)
More Articles from Health
Top Articles in Health