You are in Living Better . They're bitter, and we all have at least one we don't like. However, bitter may be better, say some experts. According to University of Washington researcher Adam Drewnowski, PhD, avoiding fruits and vegetables that produce such unpleasant sensations in your mouth could translate into a loss of important health benefits. Drewnowski, director of the University of Washington Nutritional Sciences Program in Seattle, tells WebMD that the same chemicals in plants that make for a bitter taste may also prevent cancer and heart disease, research has shown.
Antioxidants are chemicals that prevent damage to cells in the body.
They're in such vitamins as A, C, E, and beta-carotene. Common phytochemical-rich foods include grapefruit, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, mustard greens, arugula, spinach, red wine, and dark chocolate. Because of consumer preference, for years food manufacturers have removed much of the bitter taste from fruits and vegetables by selective breeding of plants and by processing. But these changes also meant losing the very components that provide the health benefits, Drewnowski reports. And now scientists want to replace the phytochemicals.