by Mitra Ray, Ph.D.
[Excerpted from From Here to Longevity, Chapter Eight]

We’ve heard it over and over again from reliable sources such as the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the American Dietetic Association: “Evidence indicates that a diet high in fruits and vegetables may help prevent…” cancer, heart disease, premature aging – and the list goes on. But are we listening? I’d like to say the same thing one more time, but in a somewhat more radical way: a diet lacking in phytochemicals contributes to premature death. And this is true regardless of whether a person was conceived with perfectly fit genes or genetic defects, or programmed as a fetus to be more or less susceptible to disease.

Mitra Ray, Ph.D. is a Stanford-educated research biochemist and author who lectures audiences around the world about health and prevention. Article: "Radically Free" Complete Bio Video Clip 1.2 megs Audio Clips Order her book

The phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables can literally mean the difference between life and death. So, it’s not enough to get rid of the toxins in our diet; we have to be sure that it actually contains the key nutrients our bodies need in order to promote health.

Some of these key nutrients cannot be manufactured in the body, but they can be supplied by the foods that we eat; we call these “essential nutrients.” What is really meant by the term “essential”? We can answer this question by looking at some of the nutrients that have been officially recognized as being “essential” to our diet.

Let’s begin with amino acids; out of the twenty amino acids that serve as the building blocks for proteins in the body, nine of these are considered “essential” amino acids because they have to be supplied from outside the body. Two kinds of fats are also considered to be essential nutrients: linoleic acid and linolenic acid, as they are indispensable components of cellular membranes, and also serve as building blocks for many important molecules like hormones. Besides these, there is a rather short list of eighteen vitamins and minerals that are also generally considered to be in the essential category. For example, just look on the label of a typical “store brand” vitamin pill if you want to get a sense of what some of these are:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Thiamin (B1)
• Riboflavin (B2)
• Niacin
• Vitamin B6
• Folic Acid
• Vitamin B12
• Pantothenic Acid

This list of what are considered to be essential nutrients is far too short and sadly outdated in my opinion. The bottom line is that Mother Nature’s foods contain a multitude of important nutrients; as science and technology progress, we learn more and more about them, give them names, try to categorize them, and study their specific roles in our health. Still we must recognize that our knowledge is incomplete about what is truly essential and what is not.

The important molecules that were discovered in the “first round” of studying food were given the name “vitamins.” These vitamins act as important cofactors for making enzymatic reactions work in the body. As we discovered the role of free radicals, we found that some of these vitamins also acted as antioxidants to protect the body from free radical damage. A preponderance of free radicals leaves a trail of damaged molecules in the body. Then the body has the burden of working hard to clean up the damaged molecules, and producing new functioning molecules to replace the damaged ones, or even worse, replacing entire cells. This process exacts a huge, unnecessary toll from the body; we call it oxidative stress. No wonder we feel tired all the time! We do have a limited, inborn capacity to defend against free radicals; however, it is crucial to realize that the scale is always tilted in their favor. The balance between free radical activity and antioxidants is often referred to as the antioxidant status in humans.

In time, we began to discover that there were actually many antioxidants to be found in food. Today, as science progresses further, we are finding other nutrients in food, and their roles are still being determined. While there is much more that remains unknown than known, it’s clear that we need to pay close attention to the power of Mother Nature’s foods in keeping the body functioning optimally. For instance, most of the antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables still haven’t been identified and recognized officially as essential; yet the body cannot manufacture most of the antioxidants it needs in order to protect itself from oxidative stress.

The various colors of produce represent different families of antioxidants: such as the orange carotenes found in carrots, the purple anthocyanins found in berries, or the red lycopenes found in tomatoes. In order to thrive, we do know that the body requires the full color spectrum of antioxidants, just as it requires all of the nine essential amino acids. Yet, our diet is often tragically lacking in these vibrant and protective plant pigments. We all need to have the power of antioxidants on our side when it comes to confronting oxidative stress.

Continued...