Phytonutrients: Diet or Supplements?
The study that we looked at this week demonstrated that flavonoid intake is related to socioeconomic status. It also demonstrated that most of that difference comes from the consumption of tea. All well and good.
What stood out to me was the lack of phytonutrient intake. While there were some small differences in the other flavonoids besides flavan-3-ols, the total intake of flavonoids was low. Even though we’re talking about just one class of phytonutrients, the total flavonoid intake minus the flavonoids from tea was about 140 milligrams per day. That’s reflective of a poor diet that does not include as many sources of phytonutrients as it should: not enough vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, and others. And it hasn’t changed in the six years of the study. Most people still don’t eat enough plant-based foods to do themselves any good.
Supplements: An Insurance Plan
The study demonstrated the need for the regular use of supplements containing plant concentrates. A plant concentrate is the plant or its fruit or its root or its leaves, minus the water and the fiber. It should also have been harvested at the peak of nutrition, not the peak of flavor and taste. The plant concentrates contain all the phytonutrients that are contained within the plant, and that includes not only the flavonoids that were the subject of this study, but all of the other types of phytonutrients that we need on a regular basis.
The plant concentrates may be found in multivitamin-minerals, as part of a fruit-and-vegetable concentration, or maybe even as a stand-alone. We’re not talking about treating diseases with these supplements; we’re talking about getting the nutrition that you’re supposed to be getting from the foods that you eat (but you’re not). To me, this study pretty much proves that everyone needs to take supplements with plant concentrates every day. They provide good backup while you work on improving your diet.
The Bottom Line
If you want the best chance at preventing degenerative diseases, you need optimal nutrition. That starts with what you eat, including all those phytonutrient-containing vegetables, fruits, beans, grains, and aromatic herbs used to season your food. As a backup, take supplements that contain plant concentrates to complement your diet. It’s not either/or; it’s using them both to get to better health.
Paula and I will be taking some time off to work on more jobs around the house. We’ll be back after a short break.
What are you prepared to do today?
Dr. Chet
Reference: J Nutr 2020;150:2147–2155.
