Brown and Beige Dominate the Plate: Daily Dose of Color Needed to Fill America's 'Phytonutrient Gap'

Brown and Beige Dominate the Plate: Daily Dose of Color Needed to Fill
America's 'Phytonutrient Gap'
Report by Nutrilite Health Institute is First Major Analysis of NHANES Fruit
and Vegetable Consumption by Color

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- While it is a well-known fact
that most Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, a new report
shows the color of fruits and veggies eaten can be as important as the
quantity. Eight in 10 Americans are missing out on the health benefits of a
diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables, resulting in a phytonutrient gap
with potential health consequences, according to America's Phytonutrient
Report released today.

"Many phytonutrients are powerful antioxidants that can help fight the damage
caused to our bodies' cells over time that can lead to premature aging and
disease," said Stephen Fortmann, M.D., director of the Stanford Prevention
Research Center at Stanford University. "The fact that Americans are falling
short in phytonutrient-rich fruits and vegetables measured in the report is
concerning," Fortmann added.

America's Phytonutrient Report was conducted by Exponent* for NUTRILITE®, the
world's leading brand of vitamin, mineral, and dietary supplements, using
National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) and USDA data which
captures what Americans eat daily.

The report looked at fruit and vegetable consumption in five color categories,
specifically green, red, white, blue/purple and yellow/orange. The health
benefits of phytonutrients are believed to come from the compounds that give
these foods their vibrant reds, yellows, greens and other rich colors.
Americans have a phytonutrient gap in every color category. Findings showed:
-- The biggest phytonutrient gap was found in the blue/purple fruit and
vegetable category where 88 percent of Americans fall short.
-- Americans are doing a little better on getting phytonutrients found in
green fruits and vegetables - 69 percent fall short.

-- Seventy-eight percent of Americans are falling short in the red, 86
percent in white and 79 percent in orange/yellow.

"America's Phytonutrient Report illustrates that we need to think about more
than just quantity when it comes to our fruits and vegetables," said Amy
Hendel, a registered physician assistant and health/wellness expert working
with the NUTRILITE brand on a new campaign to educate people about
phytonutrients and the importance of eating a variety of colorful fruits and
vegetables. "A daily dose of color could result in positive health benefits,"
Hendel added.

By looking at phytonutrient intakes among Americans who meet their daily fruit
and vegetable recommendations, the report identified "prudent intake" levels
for 14 select phytonutrients in the absence of government guidelines for
phytonutrients. The gap was then determined by comparing the "prudent intake"
levels with intakes of average Americans.

The select phytonutrients analyzed within each color category of America's
Phytonutrient Report included EGCG, isothiocyanate, lutein/zeaxanthin and
isoflavones for green, lycopene and ellagic acid for red, allicin and
quercetin for white, anthocyanidins and resveratrol for purple/blue, and
alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, hesperitin and beta-cryptoxanthin for
yellow/orange.

New Phytonutrient Spectrum Helps Americans Close Phytonutrient Gap
To see whether they have a phytonutrient gap, people can check out the
colorful new NUTRILITE Phytonutrient Spectrum, which brings to life the
colors, health benefits and fruits and vegetables associated with
phytonutrients at www.nutrilite.com/color. There they can also find Your
Daily Phytonutrient Snapshot, which helps determine by color the fruits and
vegetables of which they need to eat more to help close their individual
phytonutrient gap.

The NUTRILITE Phytonutrient Spectrum was inspired by New York artist Tattfoo
Tan who is known for using large-scale and interactive public art to educate
people about nutrition.

Filling the Phytonutrient Gap
While many people find it difficult to eat the recommended five to 13 servings
of fruits and vegetables, Hendel suggests aiming for two fruits and/or
vegetables from each of the five color categories on the Phytonutrient
Spectrum per day.

There are thousands of phytonutrients gaining attention in the nutrition
world, according to Hendel. "Phytonutrients offer a wide range of potential
health benefits from promoting eye, bone and heart health to supporting immune
and brain function," she said.

Some phytonutrients, like lycopene from red tomatoes or cartenoids found in
oranges and carrots, may sound familiar, while others such as lutein found in
greens like spinach and broccoli or allicin found in garlic are just being
recognized.

"While eating whole fruits and vegetables first is the goal, natural,
plant-based supplements like those made by Nutrilite can help fill the
phytonutrient gap," Hendel said.

Ongoing Shortfall in Fruit/Vegetable Consumption
America's Phytonutrient Report comes on the heels of a recent report released
by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that showed no U.S. state meets
national objectives for fruit and vegetable consumption. The report noted that
"a diet high in fruits and vegetables is important for optimal child growth,
maintaining a healthy weight and prevention of chronic diseases. . ."

"America's Phytonutrient Report is another confirmation that we are not
getting enough fruits and vegetables in our diet," said Douglas MacKay, a
licensed naturopathic doctor and vice president of scientific and regulatory
affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition. "There are many reasons
people struggle to get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, from
portability to convenience to availability," MacKay added. "Supplements
should never take the place of whole foods, but high-quality vitamin and
mineral supplements can play a role in promoting good health and helping
prevent disease."

Why Plant-based Supplements?
Nutrients from freshly harvested plants are used to make NUTRILITE
supplements. NUTRILITE is the only global supplement brand to grow, harvest
and process plants on its own certified organic farms.

Plants develop more protective phytonutrients when they aren't exposed to
pesticides or artificial farming practices. By concentrating and extracting
phytonutrient compounds right at the time of harvest, the potency remains
high.

For more information on NUTRILITE products, America's Phytonutrient Report and
the health benefits of phytonutrients, visit www.nutrilite.com/color.

About Nutrilite
NUTRILITE is the world's leading brand of vitamin, mineral, and dietary
supplements, based on 2008 sales.* NUTRILITE (www.nutrilite.com) is so
committed to total quality control of its plant concentrates from seed to
tablet, it's the only global vitamin and mineral brand to grow, harvest, and
process plants on its own certified organic farms, located in California,
Washington, Mexico, and Brazil. NUTRILITE products are available exclusively
through Amway Global Independent Business Owners (IBOs) in North America. For
more information on NUTRILITE products, history, farming and manufacturing
practices, visit www.nutrilite.com

*About America's Phytonutrient Report
America's Phytonutrient Report was conducted by Exponent for Nutrilite using
data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES),
surveys that capture what Americans eat daily, and supplemental nutrient
concentration data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and
the published literature.

SOURCE NUTRILITE

Anna Bryce, +1-616-787-6482, Anna_Bryce@amwayglobal.com; or Lisa Winternitz,
+1-312-988-2146, cell, +1-847-668-4957, lwinternitz@webershandwick.com, both
for NUTRILITE