Besides vitamins and minerals, vegetables and fruit - provided they’re not too depleted or processed - contain yet another type of micronutrient: phytonutrients. These are chemical substances produced by plants to protect them against "attackers" such as mildew, bugs and disease. In the human body, they also trigger useful reactions. They may act as antioxidants, dealing with free radicals that may cause cellular and tissue damage, and can reduce inflammation. So far, about 25.000 phytonutrients have been identified