Phytopian cuisine nudges meat to the side of the plate and gives fruits and vegetables more emphasis. The rationale comes from the relatively new field of phytochemical research. As forbidding as the word sounds, phytochemicals are nothing more than chemicals found in plants - "phyto" being the Greek word for plant. If you've heard of antioxidants, you're more familiar with phytochemicals than you may think: Like vitamins E and C and beta carotene, many phytochemicals have an antioxidant function. But there is so much more to phytochemicals. They are also the substances that make watermelon pink, cabbage stinky and wine full-bodied.

Across the spectrum, scientists are beginning to discover that phytochemicals may do amazing things in humans - like prevent cancer and heart disease, strengthen immunity and even slow aging. Not bad for a bunch of broccoli and onions. But much of the excitement hinges on the future promise from early research, especially lab and animal studies. This research portends considerable preventive and therapeutic benefits, and some phytochemicals have already progressed to human trials - vitamin E, for example; the lesser-known limonene, found in orange peel oil; and controversial beta carotene.

Which means, in the coming months and years, you're going to hear and read more about individual phytochemicals such as lycopene, beta carotene, quercetin and genistein, as well as broad classes of compounds like carotenoids, phytosterols and flavonoids. As this research percolates into the popular press, it helps to remember that scientists look upon single studies as exchanges in an ongoing dialogue, not declarations of ultimate truth. It may be years, even decades, before something like a consensus is reached. Nevertheless, many in the field agree there's already solid evidence for the benefits of fruits and vegetables, based on hundreds of studies tracking the health of many kinds of people and what they eat. Taken together, these studies indicate that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and grains enhances your odds for a longer, more healthful life.