Non-essential dietary compound found in plant foods that are known to possess beneficial qualities, such as antioxidant properties.
Naturally-occurring compounds found in fruits and vegetables, such as beta carotene, capsaicin, and flavonoids.
Nutritional substances in foods which act as as important biological response modifiers. Examples are carotenoids, the red-orange pigments that give fruits and vegetables their distinctive color. Not only are they anti-oxidants that protect the body against the damaging effect of oxygen free radicals, they're also converted by the body to vitamin A, which is used in the immune system as well as to prevent blindness. According to Dr. Bland, "...scientists are recognizing that a great many factors in foods contribute to their ability to act as modifiers of biological function. The use of specific whole foods and their concentrates, along with the traditional vitamin and mineral factors, provides a much more powerful influence on normalizing biological function and functional health than the traditional American diet of processed foods with the addition of a simple vitamin/mineral supplement with antioxidants." ( The 20-Day Rejuvenation Diet Program, pg. 63)
Naturally occuring non-nutrient plant compounds that have health benefits beyond basic nutrition.