Phytonutrients are a natural substance found in foods of plant origin, which play a potentially beneficial role in the prevention and treatment of disease. While there are many phytonutrients that have been identified, there are probably thousands more that remain to be discovered.

Researchers are busily uncovering a host of beneficial compounds in plant foods. While these phytonutrients aren't essential by traditional definitions, they apparently reduce risks of diseases of aging.

For example, the isoflavones in soy products may reduce the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and several types of cancer. Certain flavonoids in blueberries may actually reverse nerve cell aging. And a wide array of compounds in fruits and vegetables may protect cell components against oxidative damage as well as vitamins C or E.

As we have discovered increasing your daily intake of fresh fruits and vegetables will give you the access to the beneficial phytonutrients. But we have also learned that the average American rarely ingests a daily serving of either. We are discovering that if we tweak or tinker with nature we can coax our produce to produce much higher amounts of Phytonutrients. Many of these methods are controversial as the long term effects of eating the modified veggies is unknown. The methods currently being explored by scientist are:Genetic engineering: has produced tomatoes with up to three times more lycopene-the cancer-preventing red pigment-than normal and a shelf life several weeks longer.

Tissue culture is producing tomatoes with 10 times more lycopene than store-bought tomatoes.

Environmental and genetic factors also make a difference. Cantaloupes grown in a facility experimenting with soil, the cultivar, and fruit size differed in beta carotene levels by 500 percent.

Breeding will be central to putting produce with enhanced phytonutrients on the table.

Storage can affect phytonutrient levels Onions that have been in cold storage up to 90 days show more antiplatelet activity. This can reduce cardiovascular disease risk by interfering with the clumping of blood platelets-the first stage in clot formation.

Until we have invested much more resources and time into the potential causes and effects of our agri modifications, we will have to rely on education and knowledge to encourage society to increase their fresh food intake.