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"Phytochemicals: nature's
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| Phytochemical | Benefits to health | Fruits and Vegetables Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | helps slow down aging, reduces the risk of certain types of cancer | mango, cantaloupe, apricots, papaya, kiwifruit, carrots, pumpkins, broccoli, spinach, kale |
| Lutein | reduces the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration | Kale, spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, kiwifruit, broccoli, brussels sprouts, swiss chard, romaine lettuce, spinach, green peas |
| Lycopene | reduces the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease, reduces the risk of sun-related skin damage and of macular degeneration and cataracts | tomatoes and cooked tomato products, red peppers, pink grapefruit, watermelon |
| Zeaxanthin | may help prevent macular degeneration | orange bell pepper, corn, spinach, winter squash, Japanese persimmon, egg yolks (animal source) |
| Resveratol | acts as antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress, may reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and stroke | red grapes and its juices, red wine, peanuts |
| Anthocyanins | may help improve balance, coordination and short-term memory, may also help prevent urinary tract infections, powerful antioxidant | blueberries, cherries, kiwifruit, plums and strawberries |
| Quercetins | helps reduce inflammation associated with allergies, protects the lungs from pollutants such as cigarette smoke | apples, pears, grapes, cherries, green tea, red wine, onions, garlic, broccoli, kale |
| Hesperidin | may protect against heart diseases, may lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels | citrus fruits and juices: orange, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, mandarin, lime |
| Tangeritin | may help prevent cancers of the head and neck | citrus fruits and its juices |
| Ellagic acid | may reduce the risk of certain cancers, have strong antioxidant properties | walnuts, kiwifruit, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, currants, red grapes |
| Sulphoraphane | may reduce the risk of colon and breast cancer | broccoli sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, bok choy, turnips |
| Limonene | may help protect the lungs and reduce certain types of cancer | edible and white membranes of citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and lime |
| Indoles | may reduce the risk of breast cancer | brocolli sprouts, brocolli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, bok choy, turnips |
| Saponins | may lower cholesterol, blood sugar and triglycerides | soybeans, peas |
| Allium compounds | may lower cholesterol and blood pressure, helps reduce the risk of certain types of cancer | onions, garlic, chives, leeks, scallions |
In general, phytochemicals have cancer-fighting properties. This is why eating lots of fruits and vegetables containing these wonder compounds are highly recommended by health experts.
How about phytochemicals found in Philippine fruits?
What many Filipinos don't know is that our native fruits such as durian, papaya and mangosteen contain phytochemicals that have cancer-fighting properties.
Here is the list of the most common native fruits in the Philippines with the phytochemicals they contain:
| Philippine fruit | Phytochemicals |
|---|---|
| coconut | lauric acid |
| mangosteen | cathechins, xanthones: mangostin, normangostin, gartanin |
| avocado | isoflavones, genistein, saponin, beta-sitosterol, daidzein |
| balimbing (star fruit) | saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids and tannins |
| durian (Civer-cat fruit tree) | indoles, polyphenols |
| tiyesa (egg fruit) | flavonoid glycosides, polyphenols |
| santol | carotene |
| chico (sapodilla) | phenolics, carotenoids |
| siniguelas (Spanish plum) | anthocyanins /polyphenols, flavonoids |
| sampaloc (tamarind) | saponins, alkaloids and glycosides |
| ube (yam) | phenolic compounds |
| dalandan (sweet orange) | carotene, limoneene |
| dalanghita (tangerine orange) | limonene, hesperidin |
| langka (jackfruit) | carotenoids |
| kamias (cucumber tree) | saponins and triterpenoids oxalic acid, luteolin and apigenin |
| camachile (sweet tamarind) | flavonoids, quercetin |
| duhat (black plum/ java plum) | tannins |
| rambutan (ramboutanier) | phenolic acid (rind) |
| peanut | resveratol |
| lansones (langsat) | tetranoterpenoids, limonoids (seed) |
| caimito (star apple) | anthocyanin |
| papaya (melon tree) | beta-carotene, cryptoxanthin |
| mangga (mango) | cryptoxanthin, lutein, anachardic acid |
There's no excuse not to eat your fruits! Aside from having lots of cancer-fighting phytochemicals, they also taste good!
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