| Meet the "New-trients" | | | | 3. Phenolics (BRPB) |
| Today's consumers are witnessing a new era in how | | | | With more than 8,000 individual chemicals that serve |
| foods are identified. New nutrients, not commonly | | | | plants as pigments, the phenolics (also called phenols |
| understood for their health benefits, seem to be | | | | or polyphenols) are water-soluble acids that not only |
| popping up on our grocer's shelves every day. | | | | give plants colors, but also differentiate scents, |
| Omega fatty acids, newly defined sources of dietary | | | | tastes, and bitterness. The large class of phenolics |
| fiber, and antioxidant phytochemicals are examples of | | | | (called flavonoids) is often mentioned in current public |
| healthful plant elements that are creeping into public | | | | media. Quercetin, kaempferol and peonidin are |
| media reports and water-cooler debates. | | | | examples of flavonoids that have been in the news |
| Laboratory and preliminary human clinical studies are | | | | recently. |
| revealing anti-disease properties of these "nutrients." | | | | 4. Carotenoids (Orange/Yellow, Red) |
| Extensive food and medical research underway | | | | A fat-soluble group of more than 600 individual |
| presently will eventually translate the chemical | | | | chemicals, the carotenoids (e.g., beta-carotene, |
| properties into consumer understanding and | | | | lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin "zee-a-zan-thin") are |
| terminology that we'll grasp and use in everyday | | | | especially powerful antioxidants. Due to their chemical |
| conversation. | | | | structure, they are an excellent source of electrons |
| With such potential significance to public health, the | | | | that are aggressively sought by oxidative free |
| consumer education process should begin now in a | | | | radicals. A carotenoid molecule donates electrons to a |
| way that people, from teenagers to grandparents, | | | | free radical, sacrificing itself in antioxidant defense. |
| can readily understand antioxidants as easily as we | | | | Terpenes and xanthophylls are included in this class. |
| now understand calories, carbohydrates, fat | | | | 5. Hormones (Brown/Gray) |
| percentage, and vitamin C. | | | | A growing field of medical research is identifying |
| The scientific and regulatory bodies for food labeling | | | | normal hormones typically described with cell-to-cell |
| have a great challenge ahead of them. | | | | messaging roles in the body as having antioxidant |
| There are thousands of plant food sources with | | | | functions. Presently only a few hormones have this |
| suspected health benefits with complicated chemical | | | | identified property such as melatonin, estradiol and |
| names that are unfamiliar and can be intimidating. The | | | | insulin, but future research will likely unravel similar |
| challenge at hand is to decipher this blizzard of names | | | | functions for the dozens of hormones known in |
| and to promote better nutrition for our families and | | | | human physiology. |
| for ourselves. | | | | 6. Minerals (All colors) |
| Why Antioxidants? | | | | Minerals have elements that enable enzyme activity. |
| The beneficial antioxidant chemicals that we get from | | | | Selenium, zinc, manganese, magnesium and copper |
| colorful plant foods represent our best defense | | | | are minerals involved in hundreds of antioxidant roles |
| against threatening oxidants. While oxidative stress is | | | | in the body. |
| a normal part of cellular metabolism that occurs even | | | | 7. Glutathione (Brown/Gray) |
| in healthy people, left unchecked, it can lead to | | | | Probably the human body's single most important |
| damage that accumulates with age. | | | | native antioxidant, glutathione is a water-soluble |
| Normally, oxidative species or "free radicals" are | | | | molecule synthesized from food-derived amino acids. |
| neutralized by antioxidant enzymes and food-derived | | | | It also depends on lipoic acid (below) for synthesis. |
| antioxidants. However, the following circumstances | | | | 8. Lipid effectors (Orange/Yellow) |
| can cause an imbalanced oxidant-antioxidant | | | | Lipoic acid is perhaps the "perfect" antioxidant |
| relationship that allows oxidative stress to go | | | | because it is a small powerful molecule that dissolves |
| unopposed.o Contamination by environmental | | | | readily both in fatty layers of cells and in water - the |
| conditions like pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and | | | | only antioxidant to do this. Other lipid oriented |
| herbicideso Normal agingo Poor diets that lack | | | | antioxidants include omega fatty acids, tocopherols |
| essential nutrients and phytochemicals | | | | (like vitamin E), phytosterols, perillyl alcohol and |
| The result of this imbalance is cell and tissue damage | | | | essential oils such as limonene. |
| that could lead to diseases like:o Cancero | | | | 9. Saponins, steroids and stilbenes (Green, BRPB) |
| Hypertensiono Diabeteso Chronic inflammationo | | | | Related in this discussion only by their common first |
| Neuronal degeneration like Alzheimer's disease | | | | letter "s", this group has established antioxidant |
| The Color Code for Antioxidants | | | | functions and includes some well-known chemicals |
| Over the past five years, we have begun a valuable | | | | such as resveratrol (a stilbene of red wine and dark |
| process for recognizing plant food antioxidant qualities | | | | grapes), brassinosteroid (the growth regulator of |
| by groupings of color--The Color Code, as written in | | | | plants) and saponin (the waxy covering on plant |
| two books entitled The Color Code and What Color | | | | leaves). |
| is Your Diet? (publication information below). | | | | 10. Sulfur-containing chemicals (Green, White) |
| The following is a summary of those color guides for | | | | Including organosulfides, tri and diallyl sulfides and |
| antioxidants, and an example of how we can begin | | | | sulforaphane, this group from plants like broccoli and |
| to classify and categorize the different antioxidants | | | | cabbage has been shown to have properties |
| into the food color code. | | | | affecting antioxidant enzyme activity, inflammatory |
| Summary of the Color Code | | | | mediators and tumor growth. |
| This is a general scheme of example foods that can | | | | Proposing an Antioxidant Nomenclature |
| fit into each color class. Keep in mind that there are | | | | Just as vitamins have been given a nominal identity |
| no firm lines between the classes, which allows for | | | | (Vitamin A, B, C...etc) so too should we refer to |
| overlap. | | | | antioxidants. This is a new system not yet formally |
| 1. Red - tomato, pink grapefruit, watermelon | | | | proposed to any regulatory authority or scientific |
| 2. Blue/Red/Purple/Black (BRPB) - blueberry, cherry, | | | | body. Classification of antioxidants must undergo the |
| prune, blackberry | | | | scrutiny, revision and adoption by scientists, industry |
| 3. Orange/Yellow - carrot, pumpkin, orange, papaya | | | | and government to be acceptable for food label use |
| 4. Green - broccoli, kale, spinach, pea | | | | in the public. |
| 5. White - garlic, onion, cabbage, turnip | | | | Here is the proposed breakdown: |
| 6. Brown/Gray - spices, nuts, seeds, endogenous | | | | 1. Antioxidant C - carotenoids |
| sources | | | | 2. Antioxidant E - enzymes |
| How to Apply the Color Code | | | | 3. Antioxidant G - glutathione |
| Here's a general breakdown of the color groups that | | | | 4. Antioxidant H - hormones |
| have food chemicals with antioxidant qualities: | | | | 5. Antioxidant L - lipid-associated chemicals |
| 1. Enzymes (Brown/Gray) | | | | 6. Antioxidant M - minerals |
| A protein substance with a name ending in "ase", | | | | 7. Antioxidant P - phenolics |
| enzymes stimulate biochemical reactions in living cells | | | | 8. Antioxidant S - saponins, steroids, stilbenes, sulfurs |
| and help form new compounds that, in this case, | | | | 9. Antioxidant V - vitamins |
| would serve antioxidant functions. | | | | Over time, the public must feel these proposed |
| Members of this enzyme class of antioxidants | | | | antioxidant classes are informative and practical for |
| include:o Superoxide dismutaseo Catalaseso | | | | understanding antioxidants and choosing preferred |
| Reductaseso Peroxidaseso Transferases | | | | foods. Time will tell, but this list gives us a simple |
| 2. Vitamins (Brown/Gray) | | | | working structure to get a handle on naming |
| Most consumers would already recognize the three | | | | antioxidants. |
| main antioxidant vitamins--A, C and E--that are | | | | Reading |
| derived from food and supplements common to the | | | | * Heber D. What Color Is Your Diet? HarperCollins, |
| public. Vitamins A and E are fat-soluble, providing | | | | New York, 2001. |
| antioxidant protection in cell structures like the outer | | | | * Joseph JA, Nadeau DA, Underwood A. The Color |
| membrane and inner nuclear organelles. Vitamin C | | | | Code, Hyperion, New York, 2002. |
| dissolves readily in body water compartments, so it is | | | | * Lee J, Koo N, Min DB. Reactive oxygen species, |
| well distributed in the body. Of particular note is the | | | | aging, and antioxidative nutraceuticals. Compreh. Rev. |
| important role of vitamin C in protecting vitamins A | | | | Food Sci. Food Safety 3:21-33, 2004. |
| and E from damaging oxidative free radicals. | | | | Copyright 2006 Berry Health Inc. |