Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts for Human Health
Fruits, vegetables and nuts, as part of the human diet, have a direct positive impact on human health, from maintaining a healthy metabolism (cardiovascular health, eye health and brain function), chemoprotective action (induction of phase 2 enzymes), to feeding and modifying our gut microbiomes. In addition to vitamins and minerals, fruits, vegetables and nuts are the primary dietary source of phytonutrients, including flavonoids, carotenoids, and sulphur-containing compounds, such as glucosinolates. Each of these groups has been associated with specific health aspects, such as modifying gut microbiota, eye and brain health, and a reduction in gastrointestinal cancers. Many of these compounds are also responsible for the vibrant colours of many fruits and vegetables, which provide a simple visual health marker to consumers. The flavonoid group can be further divided into subclasses like flavanones, flavan-3-ols, flavanols, flavones, anthocyanins (red, blue, purple), and isoflavones, each with different effects on human health. Carotenoids include not only pro-vitamin A compounds such as beta-carotene, but also protective dietary carotenoids accumulated in the eye and brain (lutein and zeaxanthin), and in the prostate (lycopene). Sulphur-containing plant compounds include secondary metabolites such as glucosinolates found in cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage) and organosulfur compounds in allium vegetables (garlic, onions). These compounds, including sulforaphane, allicin, and glutathione, potentially act as chemoprotective and anti-inflammatory agents.
Working Group Fruits, Vegetables, and Nuts for Human Health brings together a wide range of scientific disciplines, including plant physiology, biochemistry, human nutrition, molecular biology, plant breeding, and consumer science, aimed at promoting the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and nuts, for their specific health benefits. Areas of research include (but not limited to) selection and breeding of nutrient-enriched cultivars (biofortification), understanding how specific phytonutrients act in the human body, factors that affect bioaccessibility and bioavailability of phytonutrients after consumption, regulatory issues regarding specific and general health claims, environmental and agronomic factors (such as protective cropping, foliar sprays) that can improve phytonutrient levels, and reduction of anti-nutritional compounds that can interfere with phytonutrient uptake.
The International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables (FAVHEALTH) is generally held every two years and brings together scientists in this cross-disciplinary area.
