28/09/2023
Secondary plant compounds serve plants as color and flavor substances, as protection against UV radiation, diseases, pests, and predators, as well as for evaporation protection and the regulation of growth and stability.
Since secondary plant compounds occur in plants only in very small amounts and unlike primary plant compounds (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) do not have their own nutritional value, they were long overlooked.
Nowadays, it is proven that plant secondary compounds are also highly effective in the human body. They influence specific body functions and are therefore referred to as bioactive substances. Each of us is familiar with at least one plant secondary compound and its bioactive potential, such as the stimulating effect of caffeine after consuming coffee or tea, or the effect of a freshly cut onion on the tear glands!
Science estimates that there are up to 100,000 chemically diverse secondary plant compounds, but currently only about 10,000 are known by name.
The spectrum of effects of secondary plant compounds is wide and still largely unexplored. For example, they have anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties - meaning they inhibit cancer growth, protect against fungal, bacterial, and viral infections, counteract cell-damaging free radicals, and strengthen the immune system.
It is believed that plant secondary compounds fully demonstrate their effects only when all the ingredients of original, naturally ripened foods work together. In isolated form, such as pills or powders, they show significantly fewer positive effects.
Plant secondary compounds are particularly abundant in the skin of fruits or vegetables or just below it. Therefore, it is recommended to briefly and thoroughly wash or brush apples, pears, cucumbers, or carrots before eating instead of peeling them.
