Phytochemicals In Food And Health

Are soy isoflavones neuroprotective? Just how different is one species of Echinacea from another? Which phytochemicals will be effective as therapeutic agents in vivo? Supported by solid scientific research, Phytochemicals in Nutrition and Health helps provide answers to these and other probing questions concerning the mechanisms of action associated with beneficial phytochemical groups. It examines new areas such as the efficacy and safety of medicinal herbs, the use of biotechnology to manipulate and enhance the phytochemical profiles of various plants, and the pharmacokinetics of phytochemicals in humans. The editors also expand discussion presented in their previous books on phytochemicals. They explore new research on phytochemicals in the Vaccinium family (cranberries, blueberries and bilberries), wine, and oilseeds, and the biological activity of Echinacea in humans. Additional chapters present new information about isothiocyanates, lycopene, carotenoids other than beta-carotene, tocotrienols, and phytoestrogens. Highlighting phytochemicals that have significant potential for promoting health or preventing disease, Phytochemicals in Nutrition and Health expands discussions of appropriate research methodologies and new technologies in this exciting field.

Phytochemicals are plant derived chemicals which may bestow health benefits when consumed, whether medicinally or as part of a balanced diet. Given that plant foods are a major component of most diets worldwide, it is unsurprising that these foods represent the greatest source of phytochemicals for most people. Yet it is only relatively recently that due recognition has been given to the importance of phytochemicals in maintaining our health. New evidence for the role of specific plant food phytochemicals in protecting against the onset of diseases such as cancers and heart disease is continually being put forward. The increasing awareness of consumers of the link between diet and health has exponentially increased the number of scientific studies into the biological effects of these substances. The Handbook of Plant Food Phytochemicals provides a comprehensive overview of the occurrence, significance and factors effecting phytochemicals in plant foods. A key of objective of the book is to critically evaluate these aspects. Evaluation of the evidence for and against the quantifiable health benefits being imparted as expressed in terms of the reduction in the risk of disease conferred through the consumption of foods that are rich in phytochemicals. With world-leading editors and contributors, the Handbook of Plant Food Phytochemicals is an invaluable, cutting-edge resource for food scientists, nutritionists and plant biochemists. It covers the processing techniques aimed at the production of phytochemical-rich foods which can have a role in disease-prevention, making it ideal for both the food industry and those who are researching the health benefits of particular foods. Lecturers and advanced students will find it a helpful and readable guide to a constantly expanding subject area.

This book summarizes recent advances in the chemistry, bioactivity, nutrition, and functional aspects of dietary phytochemicals, as well as the health and functional aspects of foods rich in phytochemicals. Consisting of forty-four chapters, it discusses the different chemical types of phytochemicals in our diets and food and presents data collected from animal or human experiments that are directly related to human health. Each chapter covers the chemistry, epidemiological study, bioavailability, bioactivity (animal experiments) function in humans and safety, as well as products on the market. Moreover, the more than 200 figures make it easy to grasp the main findings in each area.

This volume brings together information on the available and newly emerging technologies related to using plant compounds that have a beneficial role in food production. It is divided into sections focusing on phytochemistry of cereals and legumes, phytochemistry of medicinal plants, and technological advances in phytochemical study. Topics include the role of anti-nutritional substances of legumes in human health and on the elimination of such through technological processing sorghum phytochemicals and their processing and use in the development of food products production of nutraceuticals and functional foods of pharmaceutical importance T. cordifolia in the development of its therapeutic use in the food, health, and pharmacology industries polyphenolic compounds of plants, including their biosynthesis process, their classification, function, and role as bioactive compounds

Fruit and Vegetable Phytochemicals: Chemistry, Nutritional Value and Stability provides scientists in the areas of food technology and nutrition with accessible and up-to-date information about the chemical nature, classification and analysis of the main phytochemicals present in fruits and vegetables – polyphenols and carotenoids. Special care is taken to analyze the health benefits of these compounds, their interaction with fiber, antioxidant and other biological activities, as well as the degradation processes that occur after harvest and minimal processing.

"Bio-Farms for Nutraceuticals" can be said to have been born of the NUTRA-SNACKS project within the Sixth Framework Programme Priority on Food Quality and Safety. One objective of NUTRA -SNACK S was to improve the nutritional and eating properties of ready-to-eat products and semi-prepared foodstuffs through better monitoring of the quality and safety of raw materials and the development of innovative processes along the production chain. Another main objective of the project was the production of ready-to-eat snacks with high nutraceutic activity. Seven research institutes and three companies in six European countries were involved in this effort. The co-operation resulted in the production of food having a high content of natural metabolites with the following beneficial health effects: anticancer, antilipidemic, anticholesterol, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antihypertensive, anti-inflamatory and antioxidant activities.

Increasing knowledge of the various protective effects of phytochemicals has sparked interest in further understanding their role in human health. Phytochemicals: Health Promotion and Therapeutic Potential is the seventh in a series representing the emerging science with respect to plant-based chemicals. Drawn from the proceedings at the Seventh In

Now in two volumes and containing more than seventy chapters, the second edition of Fruit and Vegetable Phytochemicals: Chemistry, Nutritional Value and Stability has been greatly revised and expanded. Written by hundreds of experts from across the world, the chapters cover diverse aspects of chemistry and biological functions, the influence of postharvest technologies, analysis methods and important phytochemicals in more than thirty fruits and vegetables. Providing readers with a comprehensive and cutting-edge description of the metabolism and molecular mechanisms associated with the beneficial effects of phytochemicals for human health, this is the perfect resource not only for students and teachers but also researchers, physicians and the public in general.