Healthy Travelling

Stay healthy while traveling and you will enjoy yourself much more.  Therefore, it is important to include in this article some information about phytonutrients which rank high in importance when it comes to your overall health.

Despite the peripheral noise of fad diets and get-fit-quick schemes, people serious about health and nutrition agree on at least one thing: Eat a lot of fruits and veggies. The bright-colored array in the produce aisle has been shown to contribute to overall good health. So, what is it about fruits and vegetables that make them so crucial for healthy living?

Among the countless beneficial properties of fruits and vegetables, phytonutrients rank high in importance when it comes to the basis of overall health. Phytonutrients are nutrients that are contained within plant sources such as fruits, vegetables, beans, tea and whole grains. Phytonutrients offer protection from harmful cellular damage and are essential to healthy living. There are thousands of varieties of phytonutrients.

Six common phytonutrients that have been studied for their health benefits include flavonoids, carotenoids, glucosinolates, ellagic acid, resveratrol and phytoestrogens. Let�s look at some of the health benefits of each:

Flavonoids include catechins, flavonols and hesperidin which have been shown to improve joint health.
Carotenoids are what give certain fruits and veggies their orange, yellow or red color and they�re packed with power. They are strong antioxidants that prevent cells from being damaged by free radicals the body naturally creates.
Glucosinolates are present in vegetables such as broccoli and bok choy and are understood to prevent cancer.
Ellagic acid is most commonly found in berries and is believed to protect against some varieties of cancer.
Resveratrol is found in grapes. It�s known to be high in antioxidants.
Phytoestrogens can beneficially alter the effects typically expressed by the body�s naturally produced estrogen. They may prevent endometrial cancer.

Xanthones are another type of phytonutrient that can provide tremendous health benefits. One fruit that is particularly rich in these phytonutrients is the mangosteen fruit . The pericarp of the fruit is the central location for the xanthones�antioxidants that repair cellular damage by reducing the destructive effects of free radicals.

A good rule of thumb is to eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables every day. (You�ve heard it before and it�s not going anywhere. Your mom was right.) Fruits and veggies provide the vitamins and nutrients necessary to sustain a vigorous and long life, providing a wide array of health benefits.

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