**3. Description on therapeutic benefits of phytochemicals in vegetables**

The words "Phytochemicals" often called secondary metabolites are nonnutritive chemical compounds produced by plants via several chemical pathways. Recent studies have demonstrated that a large number of phytochemicals can be beneficial to the function of human cells. Several studies also indicate the effects of phytochemical-rich foods on health. While phytochemicals can help to improve health.

Also, phytochemical substances are found in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. They give plants their color, flavor, and aroma. There are thousands of different phytochemicals in which scientists are discovering the different roles they play in human health. Much of the current evidence on the benefits of phytochemicals came from observing people who eat mainly plantbased diets. These people have been shown to have significantly lower rates of certain types of cancers and heart disease [7, 8]. Phytochemicals may have the potential to:


You will find some examples of specific phytochemicals and their potential benefits, along with some of the foods in which they are found in **Table 3**.

Each plant food has many different phytochemicals; for instance, there are more than 100 phytochemicals in carrots alone. You may not find a single food item with all the essential nutrients. There is a need to include a little portion of every food in your diet for great health benefits. Different phytochemicals have different functions in the body, and many of them complement one another. Evidence shows


#### **Table 3.**

*Description of some vegetables and their nutritional values. Some extract.*

### *Nutritional Values of Vegetables DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101090*

that taking phytochemicals in supplement form may not provide the same benefits as eating whole plant foods, because phytochemicals in supplements may not be as easily absorbed by the body as those from food sources. So the best way to have a variety of phytochemicals and other essential nutrients in the diet is to eat a rainbow of plant-based foods. The fruits and vegetables with deeper and brighter colors or with stronger flavors are often the best sources of phytochemicals. Larger concentrations of phytochemicals are also often found in the skins or peels of fruits and vegetables [8].
