Definition: Chemicals in plants (apart from vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients) that have a beneficial effect the body. There are hundreds, if not thousands of them, and they have effects such as antioxidants, boosting the immune system, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, and cellular repair. Highly colored vegetables and fruits tend to be highest in these chemicals, but tea, chocolate, nuts, and flax seeds are all excellent sources as well. Various families of plants tend towards certain families of phytonutrients, for example, orange foods tend to have the caretenoid group.
Pronunciation: fy toe NOO tree ents; fy toe KEM i kels
Also Known As: sometimes incorrectly called "antioxidants" as a group
Common Misspellings: phytonutrents
Examples: The lycopene in tomatoes and pink grapefruit, the anthocyanins in berries, and the flavanoids in chocolate are all examples of beneficial phytonutrients.
