Like many western countries, Australia has an ageing population. While we all want to age gracefully, it is more important to ensure we live a healthier life. This would allow us to remain independent and improve our overall quality of life.
Evidence is growing that a diet rich in plant-based foods reduces the risk of developing a number of chronic age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cataracts and age-related functional decline.
Diets that include a variety of fruits and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, fibre and an array of plant-derived compounds known as phytochemicals. Increasingly phytochemicals are being considered as key components responsible for much of the disease protection conferred by fruits and vegetables.
Phytochemicals are bioactive non-nutrient, non-essential plant chemicals that may provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. More than 8000 individual phytochemicals have been identified to date, with many others yet to be discovered, making research in this area extremely complex.
Polyphenols are the most diverse group of the phytochemicals, and have been under the most intense investigation over the past decade. Plants produce polyphenols as secondary metabolites involved in a range of different processes, such as resistance against pathogens and...
