Eli5: what are phytochemicals

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Can you give me a simple explanation of what phytochemicals are. How are they different to phytonutrients?

In: Biology

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Simplest explanation: phytochemicals are chemical compounds produced by plants, and can be found in many plant forms including fruits and vegetables. You can read more about it here: [https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/fill-up-on-phytochemicals](https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/fill-up-on-phytochemicals)

Anonymous 0 Comments

You can understand how the terms interact like this:

All phytonutrients are phytochemicals, but not all phytochemicals are phytonutrients.

This is the case because “phytochemical” refers to any chemical that has its origin in a plant (phyto- being the Greek word for plant), and all nutrients are chemical compounds.

You can also find things like certain acid, certain antifungal compounds, and flavors in the category of “phytochemical.”