Phytochemicals
What are phytochemicals, and do they reduce cancer risk?
Phytochemicals are a wide range of compounds made by plants. Some have either antioxidant or hormone-like actions. Only a few studies have looked at the effects that phytochemicals (or the plants that contain them) may have on cancer coming back or getting worse (progressing).
Eating lots of vegetables and fruits reduces the risk of some types of cancer, so researchers are looking for the specific plant compounds that might account for this. At this time there is no evidence that phytochemicals taken as supplements are as helpful as the vegetables, fruits, beans, and grains they come from.