What are Phytonutrients and Why are They Important to our Health? (part Ii)

In Part 1 of our investigation (http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/what-are-phytonutrients-and-why-are-they-important-to-our-health-part-i-535702.html), we discovered that phytonutrients are simply the nutrients found in plants.  The MonaVie blend is frequently referred to as "the highest level of phytonutrients and antioxidants available today."  But why are phytonutrients so valuable to our health and why is it important to consume a wide variety of them on a daily basis?  Here are just a few reasons:

1. Phytos protect the body and fight disease.

Ever wonder how plants stay so healthy?  They don't wear sunscreen or a raincoat and they don't see the doctor.  But they do make their own disease-fighting chemicals called phytochemicals - phytos for short. The same phytos that help keep the plant healthy keep our bodies healthy.  Phytos provide medicine for cell health. They help the cells repair themselves by stimulating the release of protective enzymes or those that rebuild damaged cells. Other phytos inhibit cancer-producing substances, reducing their ability to damage cells. When the repair squad can stay ahead of the damage, degenerative diseases can't get started. 

2. Phytos fight cancer.

Cancer starts with a cell out of control.  As cells wear out or get injured, they replace themselves with new and healthy cells.  Within each cell a network of inner controls (the DNA) keeps this process in check.  But with this cellular cloning happening millions of times a minute, there are many opportunities for an occasional cell to defy the rules and get out of control.  It may go on reproducing itself, eventually damaging the organ of which it is a part.  Like a band of terrorists, the out-of- control cancer cells also try to infiltrate other organs by entering the body's blood vessels and traveling to places near and far, a damaging process called metastasis.  Some cancer cells are probably formed in every person every day.  Yet the body's own defense system recognizes these invaders and attacks. Almost always, the body wins the battle, so that these cancer cells either never have a chance to develop, or they are destroyed before they have a chance to spread or cause damage.  Occasionally, the body's defenses aren't strong or effective enough to overcome these rebellious cells, and the person "gets cancer."

Phytos fight on the side of the body. Carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) can enter the body from all kinds of sources: tobacco smoke, pollution, pesticides, and the list goes on. Carcinogens attempt to enter cells and change how they develop. But antioxidant phytos nab the carcinogens before they have a chance to cause cancer in the cell. If the carcinogen manages to infiltrate the internal controls of the cell, other kinds of phytos help to shut down the precancerous cell so it does not multiply into a gang and overrun the neighborhood.  This phyto protective mechanism explains why cultures whose diets are rich in plant foods have the lowest rates of cancer.  The Mediterranean diet, for example, emphasizes garlic, tomatoes, onions, fruits, whole grains, and olive oil - all of which contain cancer-fighting phytos.

Phytos seem to be the most cancer protective against epithelial cells, those that form the lining of organs, such as the mouth, lungs, bladder, uterus, and digestive tract.  These cells are the ones most exposed to carcinogens.  They also have a rapid turnover rate, meaning they're replaced often.  Even though there are anticancer phytos in all plant foods, those found in fruits and vegetables seem to be the most powerful.  It's not only what fruits and vegetables contain that make them effective cancer-fighters, but it's also what they don't contain.  Namely the saturated fats and chemical pollutants frequently found in animal foods.

3. Phytos help the heart.

Antioxidant phytos can interfere with the damaging effects of LDL cholesterol on arteries.  LDLs, the bad cholesterol, become harmful after an encounter with a free radical, during which they are oxidized.  And when artery walls are damaged by free radicals, it's easier for oxidized LDLs to build up there.  Antioxidant phytos, especially beta carotene, can block this process and thus prevent cardiovascular disease.  

4. Phytos boost immunity.

Phytos, such as carotenoids and flavonoids, mobilize the body's immune cells, called natural killer cells and helper-T cells. These act like a protective armor to keep invading pollutants and germs from entering the cell. One of the most important roles of phytos is acting as antioxidants.  Here's why our bodies need antioxidants.

When the cells in our body burn fuel for energy they burn oxygen as well.  When oxygen is burned, molecules called free radicals are released.  Free radicals are like vandals loose in your body.  They have at least one extra electron, giving them a negative charge, which drives them around the body looking for cells with which they can react.  These reactions damage the DNA and other substances in cells.  Much of the time the cells can repair themselves, but the cell neighborhood can't protect itself from these gangs of free radicals all by itself.  Enter the antioxidant "police." Antioxidant molecules have a positive charge, so when they meet up with the negatively-charged free radicals they neutralize them - handcuff them so they can't do any damage.  Our bodies need more antioxidant police officers as we get older, since the body's ability to repair itself diminishes with age. Antioxidants also help to prevent damage by carcinogens, such as ultraviolet radiation, tobacco smoke, and environmental pollutants.

Enter MonaVie.  Consuming 4 ounces of MonaVie Active on a daily basis can enhance your body's antioxidant activity to help fight free radicals.  In fact, four ounces of MonaVie feature an antioxidant capacity (ORAC value) equivalent to 13 servings of common fruits and vegetables.

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