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Nutritional Supplementation

Secondary plant metabolites — also known as phytonutrients

Reading Time: 2 minutes

What are phytonutrients?

Secondary plant substances are also referred to as phytonutrients, phytochemicals or secondary plant ingredients. But how do the substances work? Secondary plant metabolites are responsible for dyes, bitter substances, fragrances and flavours in food. Phytonutrients do not belong to the essential nutrients of the body, but are involved in a variety of metabolic processes. Neurological, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects are also attributed to them.¹

Those who eat healthy and varied mixed foods consume about 1.5 g of secondary plant metabolites via food every day. Because vegetarians usually only eat plant-based foods, they usually consume an even larger amount of secondary plant metabolites.¹

How many secondary plant metabolites are there?

According to current knowledge, there are about 100,000 secondary plant metabolites, of which about 5,000 to 10,000 occur in our food.¹ We have listed the nine main groups of secondary plant metabolites:

Carotenoids
Flavonoids
Monoterpenes
Glucosinolates
Phenolic acids
Phytosterols
Phytoestrogens
Sulphides
Saponins

What are the functions of secondary plant metabolites?

Phytonutrients give vegetable foods their colour, their scent and their aroma. The effect of secondary plant metabolites in terms of dyes, bitter substances, fragrances and flavourings is clearly illustrated by examples:²

Yellow peppers, orange pumpkins and red tomatoes get their colour via carotenoids.
Saponins provide the bitter substances in pulses.
Monoterpenes give herbs their fresh scent.

If you eat a balanced diet and rely on a mixture of fruits, vegetables, potatoes, legumes and nuts, you can ensure an adequate intake of secondary plant metabolites. A diet as colourful as possible can help in making the right choice for healthy eating.

Which foods contain secondary plant metabolites?

Secondary plant metabolites seem to be easily available — but where exactly can you find them? Incorporating phytonutrients into your daily diet is easier than you might think. If you value eating well and already enjoy a variety of colours of fruits and vegetables, you won’t need to make any big changes.

If you want to use these metabolites to support your future health, you can follow this selection of examples showing where secondary plant metabolites are obtainable: Perhaps you will find inspiration for new nutritious cooking ideas. Dig in when fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes are offered. The more colourful, the better — variety in a healthy diet is key, and this can be achieved with many different types of foods.

Secondary plant metabolite	Occurrence in food
Carotenoids, for example Lycopene Beta-carotinoid	Tomatoes, watermelon, red grapefruit Apricots, pumpkin, spinach, kale, broccoli³
Flavonoids, e.g. Anthocyanins Flavonols Quercetin	Aubergines, cassis, blueberries, blackberries Apples, peppers, celery, carrots, grapefruit, oranges, onions Onions, kale, leeks, tomatoes, berries⁴
Monoterpenes	Lemons and oranges (zest and juice), caraway, ginger, grapes, apricots, mint, celery leaves, spices⁵
Glucosinolates	Cabbage including Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale and white cabbage, broccoli, horseradish, radishes, cress, mustard⁶
Phenolic acids	Kale, white cabbage, green beans, spinach, lettuce, apples, blueberries⁷
Phytosterols	Plant seeds such as sunflower seeds, sesame or pumpkin seeds, nuts such as almonds, cashew nuts or peanuts, pulses⁸
Phytoestrogens⁹, for example Isoflavones Lignans	Soya beans and soya products such as tofu or soya milk Linseed, pumpkin seeds, whole grain cereals, beans, asparagus, broccoli
Sulphides	Onions, chives, shallots, garlic, leeks, cabbages¹⁰
Saponins	Pulses, soya, green beans, spinach, asparagus, oats¹¹

Note: The substances lycopene, beta-carotinoid, anthocyanins, flavonols, quercetin, isoflavones and lignans are considered subgroups of the respective secondary plant metabolites.

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Secondary plant metabolites — also known as phytonutrients

What are phytonutrients?

How many secondary plant metabolites are there?

What are the functions of secondary plant metabolites?

Which foods contain secondary plant metabolites?

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Create an online account

Add security question

Billing address

Sales tax

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Sales tax

Secondary plant metabolites — also known as phytonutrients

What are phytonutrients?

How many secondary plant metabolites are there?

What are the functions of secondary plant metabolites?

Which foods contain secondary plant metabolites?