Phytonutrients or as they are more commonly known, antioxidants, may have a huge impact on health as they have the capability to prevent and fight many diseases including cancer. In plants these are called phytonutrients and are able to work together with our body's own nutrients to fight disease. Although only nine hundred if these phytonutrients have been discovered so far it is the scientist opinion that many more will be found and will change tomorrows health care needs; more are being discovered all the time and the whole area of nutrition and preventative health care is opening up. There has been a whole host of discoveries made into the properties of these phytonutrients; pomegranates for example, contain many different properties whilst blueberries have compounds which affect the aging process.

Blueberries are one of the top quality fruits containing plenty of antioxidants while maintaining lower sugar content then most other fruits. The easiest way to inject concentrated amounts of these fruits is by drinking juice every day; many benefits have been found including an improvement in our circulatory system and an increase in our own ability to ward of illness. Infection is also reduced as are the chances of disease from the powerful antioxidants they contain. You will also find high levels of these substances in apples which can help to reduce the chance of heart disease.

Now citrus fruits too are showing that they have a use with a number of beneficial phytochemicals contained in them. The health benefits of tart cherries are now being researched as a way to help those who suffer with joint conditions because they contain anti-inflammatory properties. Of course we already now about the benefits of certain vitamins and minerals, which have been available for some time. A large group of common berries also contain specialized antioxidants called Phytoalexins (resveratrol); these have anti-viral and anti-fungal properties that can be of benefit to people.

The benefits of these extend too many of the conditions which are found to be more prevalent as we age like heart disease, Alzheimer's, blood pressure and stroke. The benefit of tomatoes has been in the news recently with the hopes that it contains anti-cancer properties as well as those that can help prevent heart disease. There are a number of ways you can use tomatoes to gain the greatest antioxidant benefit from them and these include pureed, juice concentrate and sauce. Even the humble water melon, so refreshing on a hot summer's day, has now been found to have some of the most important and powerful phytonutrients available naturally. We are told to eat more fruit and now there is a very good scientific reason to do this.