What are phytonutrients?
Phytonutrients are simply "health supporting compounds" found in plants. There are literally hundreds of thousands of them! In fact, there are so many that in our lifetimes, research will probably identify and study only a small fraction of them. Almost all commonly known nutritional components, except minerals, can be classified as phytonutrients.
Why are phytonutrients important?
The VALUE that phytonutrients are to human wellness is incalculable. There is simply no way to quantify the total, synergistic effect that these many compounds have on supporting wellness. What we do know is that WHOLE-FOODS are the source of these valuable phyto-compounds.
What's the difference between "natural" and "natural source"?
Certain phytonutrients, like specific vitamins, can be made synthetically in a lab. "Natural source" means "from plants", they are made by Mother Nature and they number in the thousands! "Natural" synthetic vitamins are made in a laboratory from isolated chemicals, and are void of supportive phytonutrients. The FDA has recognized only 13 vitamins as essential for life, for which they have assigned Daily Values and these are the ones usually found in store-bought synthetic supplements. Only thirteen! Phytonutrients by Mother Nature number in the thousands. Just imagine the VALUE they represent to human health.
The human body VALUES and readily receives whole-food phytonutrients over man-made synthetics.
The human body has build-in intelligence that recognizes "natural source" phytonutrients and "organic" minerals and readily accepts them. For anything less, the body has natural defenses to filter them out. That's why all synthetic vitamin products suggest taking them with meals, because then the synthetics can "piggy back" along with the "natural source" compounds for better assimilation.