W.O.W.

Antioxidants & Phytochemicals: Taste the Rainbow

Taught by: Vy Doan, Dietetic Intern (Class of 2016)
Date: 9/25/15
I.

COURSE IDENTIFICATION
A. Class: Antioxidants, the colors they project and their benefits
B. Length: 60 minutes

II.

DESCRIPTION
Through lecture, handouts and active discussion, participants will
learn about antioxidants. This class will discuss what an antioxidant
is and their sources and how to identify them by color. Participants
will learn the functionality behind colorful fruits and vegetables and
the benefits that they offer us and the consequences of lacking
these antioxidants. This class will also discuss how to incorporate
more antioxidants into their own diet.

III.

OBJECTIVE OF THE CLASS

Upon completion of this course, each participant will:
A. Verbalize the definition of an antioxidant and phytochemical:
know the difference.
B. Name and identify at least 3 of the phytochemical sources and
its associated color
C. Identify at least one benefit of eating antioxidants
D. Suggest one way to include more antioxidants in their meals.

IV.

MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT
A. Colorful notecards- Red/Yellow/Green/Blue/Purple/White
a. One side blank
b. Other side with team name and benefits
B. Pens
C. White board & white board markers
D. Handouts: color wheel of antioxidants
E. Food models (variety of colorful fruits and vegetables for
representation)
F. Next weeks cafeteria menu (9/27/15-10/3/15)
G. Blueberries (as snacks and a thank you gift)

V.

COURSE PRESENTATION
A. Introduction
1.
Weekly check-in: Have patients discuss their
progress.

2.
Ask patients about their knowledge on antioxidants
and engage discussion on the benefits of antioxidants
3.
Explain that todays class we will be learning about
phytochemicals/antioxidants, specifically on color and its
benefits.
B. Lecture/Discussion
1.
What is a phytochemical and its sources? What is an
antioxidant?
Background
a. Phytochemicals are a large group of plantderived compounds and are hypothesized to
play a big role in disease prevention because of
their antioxidant activity. Antioxidants protect
the cell from oxidative damage and reduce the
risk of developing cancers.
b. Oxidative stress has been linked to serious
diseases such as stroke, aging, diabetes,
arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc.
c. Phytochemicals occur naturally in plants and
may provide health benefits beyond those that
essential nutrients provide.
d. Phytochemicals may act as an antioxidant,
protect and regenerate essential nutrients,
and/or work to deactivate cancer-causing
substances.
e. Sourcesantioxidants can be found mostly in
fruits and vegetables, sea plants or seafood
that eat these sea plants. More will be
explained later.
Sources
a. Get patients into groups/pairseach group will
receive one colored card and write down
corresponding fruits and vegetables with that
color on their assigned card within two
minutes. (ex: one team will receive red card
and will come up with red fruits and
vegetables).
b. Use white board to put down everyones input
c. Give an overview of the variety of color and
choices one can get to include antioxidants in
the diet.
d. Team Redread your card with team info:
i. Lycopene: carotenoid family
(predominant pigment)

1. Protects plants from toxic effects of

oxygen and light.
2. Lycopene is more bioavailable, or
more useful to use when cooked.
So if you dont like tomatoes raw,
and love spaghetti or pizza, youre
in luck! Canned tomatoes have four
times more bioavailability than
fresh tomatoes.
3. Sources of lycopene: name fruits
and vegetables on white board.
e. Team Orange/Yellowread your card with team
info:
i. Beta-Carotene: Carotenoid family (sit
next to Lycopene team)
1. A nontoxic precursor to vitamin A
2. Powerful immune boosterlower
risk in cancer and heart disease.
3. Beta carotene absorption is
blocked by alcohol, birth control
pills, cigarette smoke, some
cholesterol drugs.
f. Team Yellow/GreenRead your card with team
info:
i. Xanthophylls, Zeaxanthin, and
Mesozeaxanthin: Carotenoid family (sit
next to lycopene and beta-carotene
team)
1. The trio helps to preserve detail in
vision and help prevent blindness,
particularly from age-related
macular degeneration.
2. Did you know? Egg yolks are high
in lutein
g. Team Blue/Purpleread your card with team
info:
i. Anthocyanins: Flavanoid family
1. Water-soluble pigments that
provide a red, purple, or blue color.
2. Inhibits cholesterol levels in the
blood, and help maintain flexibility
of blood vessels and support blood
flow in eyes.

3. Did you know? Found mostly in

flowers and fruits, and in leaves
and stems (they have purpose
too!)
h. Colorless/White
i. Anthoxanthias
1.
2.
What are the benefits of antioxidants and the
disadvantages of a deficiency in antioxidants?
Refer to handout (color wheel) for the different
benefits of each antioxidant and the antioxidant as a
whole in boosting our immune system, better skin,
and preventing diseases.
Explain link between a diet poor in fruits and
vegetables deprives oneself of antioxidants and give
susceptibility to diseases and infection.
3.
How can we use antioxidants into our diet?
Have providers pass out this weeks menu.
Give patients the opportunity to look at the menu
and point out how to get antioxidants or increase
antioxidants into daily meals.
Test patients to see if they can name the
corresponding phytochemical to the color of the
fruit/vegetable of their choice.
This weeks challenge: Include antioxidants into each
meal and keep track of it with your color wheel.
C. Conclusion
1.
Review main points discussed during lecture
What is an antioxidant and its sources? Antioxidants
help prevent disease and keep us healthy. Its
sources are exactly what we decided all together on
this board and is all readily available for you.
What are the benefits of antioxidants and the
disadvantages of a deficiency in antioxidants?
Antioxidants keep us healthy as stated before and
helps prevent disease and many other benefits,
without antioxidants we are more susceptible to
disease.
How can we use antioxidants into our diet? A good
tip: the more colorful with fruit and vegetables to
create your rainbow plate, the better.
2.
Thank patients for cooperation and for their time and
congratulate them on their success in the initial phase of

the class and wish them the best of luck in the future.
Now go eat the rainbow! (not skittles, fruits and
vegetables.)
3.

Resources
Higdon, J. B. Delage, D. Williams, and R. Dashwood. Cruciferous Vegetables
and human Cancer
Risk: Epidemiologic Evidence and Mechanistic Basis. Pharmacological
Research: 224-36.
Print.
Hughs, Osee, and Marion Bennion. Phytochemicals and Antioxidants.
Introductory Foods. 5th
ed. New York: Macmillan, 2009. Print.
Kellow, RD, Juliette. Eat a Rainbow of White Food. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.weightlossresource.co.uk/...eating/eat-arainbow/quercitin-white-food.html>.
Schaeffer, Juliann. Color Me Healthy-Eating for a Rainbow of Benefits. Web.
25 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/110308p34.shtml> .