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Abstract
Phytochemicals are natural compounds found in fruits and vegetables. They are substances that don’t fall within any other categories- they are not vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats or minerals. Although they are not nutrients- that is necessary for sustaining life- phytochemicals are beneficial to our health. Besides being a source of nutrients, foods, particularly plant foods, are a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals or bionutrients. Each type of fruit or vegetable may contain hundreds of phytochemicals. An orange alone may contain 170 or more different phytochemicals. Studies carried out during the past 2–3 decades have shown that these phytochemicals have an important role in preventing chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, coronary heart disease and hyper-cholesterolaemia. The major classes of phytochemicals with disease-preventing functions are dietary fibre, antioxidants, detoxifying agents, immunity-potentiating agents and neuropharmacological agents. Each class of these functional agents consists of a wide range of nutrients, such as vitamin E, vitamin C and pro vitamin A. Other phytochemicals that have antioxidant properties are carotenoids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids and is othiocyanates. Some of these phytochemicals have more than one function. Foods rich in these chemicals and exhibiting disease-protecting potential are called functional foods. Indian habitual diets, which are based predominantly on plant foods like cereals, pulses, oils and spices, are all good sources of these classes of phytochemicals, particularly dietary fibre, vitamin E, carotenoids and phenolic compounds.