Bioactive Foods for Weight Loss & Natural Healing

QUICK SUMMARY

Bioactive foods are foods rich in plant-based compounds that influence cellular and metabolic activity in the body. They are not simply “healthy foods.” They are foods loaded with phytochemicals, antioxidants, fiber, healthy fats, and other compounds that help your body function the way God designed it to function.

The most important bioactive food groups include seeds, healthy fats and oils, fruit, cruciferous vegetables, nuts, legumes, wild-caught cold-water salmon, and teas. These foods support weight management, immune health, blood sugar balance, cardiovascular wellness, healthy inflammation pathways, detoxification, brain health, and protection against oxidative stress.

Essential oils are also bioactive compounds. They do not provide calories, vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, or carbohydrates, but they contain concentrated volatile plant compounds that can support metabolism, stress relief, blood sugar balance, energy, pain relief, and healthy weight when used wisely as part of a broader biblical health lifestyle.

Several years ago, we upgraded our diet and focused on eating more bioactive foods, and we have found them to be one of the biggest keys to unlocking abundant health for our family. But, if you’re like most people, you’ve never heard of bioactive compounds, so let’s start there…

What Are Bioactive Foods?

Bioactive foods are foods that contain natural compounds capable of influencing how your body functions at the cellular, metabolic, and physiological levels. Put simply, they are the foods that do more than fill your belly. They help nourish your cells, protect your body from oxidative stress, support healthy inflammation pathways, and help your metabolism run like it was designed to run.

Today, as a society, we are more unhealthy and overweight than ever. In pursuit of both weight loss and better health, many people turn to fad diets and multi-vitamin supplementation, which often fails to address either of these issues. People discover that their weight-loss is short-lived and true health gains are not apparent. What if there were a better way?

I believe there is.

Rather than turning to quick fixes, adding foods rich in bioactive compounds to your diet, along with adding essential oils to your routine, can help ensure that you are getting the nourishment your body needs. It may even help you achieve your body’s ideal weight.

When I was conducting research for our book, The Essential Oils Diet, the term “bioactive” repeatedly caught my attention. Assuming you’re like me and you haven’t heard of them before, bioactive compounds are phytochemicals, plant-based chemicals that help support metabolism, protect against disease processes, and make you feel great. (1)

Examples you may already know include:

• Carotenoids – the tetraterpenoids that give carrots, corn, tomatoes, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and other brightly colored foods their orange, yellow, and red pigments. Carotenoids also help support vision and antioxidant defenses. (10)
• Polyphenols – a group of more than 8,000 antioxidant-rich phytochemicals, including flavonoids, lignans, stilbenes, and phenolic acids, which support immune health, cardiovascular wellness, metabolic function, and cellular protection. (4)
• Fiber – dietary “roughage,” such as cellulose, lignin, pectin, beta-glucans, and other resistant carbohydrates that help gastric motility, feed beneficial gut bacteria, support bowel regularity, and help reduce the risk of chronic disease. (8)
• Essential oils – concentrated volatile organic compounds extracted from plants that contain powerful antioxidant and healing properties. (24)

While you may not have heard of bioactive before, you are most likely familiar with the term “antioxidant.” Antioxidants are one of the main reasons more people should be talking about bioactives. In addition to fiber, bioactive compounds are mainly comprised of polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, terpenes, terpenoids, and essential oils, all plant-derived chemicals with outstanding health-supporting properties.

Science has identified thousands of bioactive compounds, including more than 8,000 polyphenols alone to date. (4)

• One definition states that bioactive compounds are “components of food that influence physiological or cellular activities in the animals or humans that consume them.” (1)
• Or, in more practical terms, they are phytochemicals found in certain foods that can modulate metabolic processes, resulting in the promotion of better health. (3)
• With these definitions in mind, bioactive foods are foods rich in plant-based chemicals that help boost immune function, protect cellular health, support metabolism, and promote robust health.

“So, why haven’t I heard about bioactive foods before?” you may be asking.

Good question!

Truth be told, I don’t really know the reason. Maybe it’s because a diet rich in bioactive compounds won’t make anybody rich, because the best way to get them in your system is through good ol’ fashioned plant-based foods, herbs, spices, teas, and essential oils; not expensive manufactured powders pretending to replace real food.

This is important. Real food is always a better nutrition source than a single vitamin supplement, multivitamin, or powder mix because plant foods contain a complex mix of bioactive compounds that work together. That is the biblical health principle of stewardship in action: honoring the body God gave you with the foods He designed.

Where Bioactive Compounds Fit in Nutrition

To put bioactive compounds into perspective, it’s important to remember that the body requires two kinds of nutrients:

1. Essential Nutrition – nutrients that are necessary for life that your body cannot make or cannot make in adequate amounts: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, certain vitamins, and minerals.
2. Non-Essential Nutrition – nutrients or compounds that can be made by the body or obtained from sources other than foods and beverages: vitamin D, cholesterol, and many amino acids.

Bioactive compounds, on the other hand, are considered “extra-nutritional,” meaning they contain no calories as protein, fat, and carbohydrates do, and they are not vitamins or minerals. They are not required for basic survival, but they are necessary if your goal is vibrant, abundant health.

Think of it like this: You can live on essential nutrients through a feeding tube, but that doesn’t mean you are truly alive. Bioactive compounds add spice to your life!

The European Journal of Nutrition published an article in 2013 explaining that while the absence of essential nutrients produces deficiency diseases, the absence of bioactive substances produces suboptimal health. (2)

Reality check: that is exactly why trendy low-carb diets can be so misleading. Many of them focus on “essential nutrition” while ignoring the bioactive compounds found in colorful plant foods. Interest in these carbohydrate-starvation fad diets means that heavy consumption of meat and animal fat is highly promoted while berries, legumes, fruit, herbs, teas, and even some vegetables are unnecessarily restricted.

We should be cautious about the “benefits” of these diets.

Research strongly suggests that someone’s chance of enjoying optimal health is greatly diminished if his or her diet consists primarily of animal fat and protein while lacking bioactive-rich plant foods. (7) If you want to improve your health, skip the fad diets and add more bioactive compounds to your plate!

The Benefits of Bioactive Compounds

Bioactive compounds do more than help us live vibrantly. Antioxidant bioactives like flavonoids, carotenoids, and polyphenols are plant chemicals that protect your body’s cells from damage caused by free radicals, unstable molecules that contribute to oxidative stress, inflammation, premature aging, and chronic disease. (3, 4)

When your diet is lacking in foods that contain these compounds, you are stacking the deck against your health. When your diet is full of them, you are giving your body the tools it needs to heal, rebuild, protect, and thrive.

Studies show that bioactive compounds may help:

• Improve vision and support eye health through carotenoids and vitamin A pathways. (10)
• Help prevent diabetes and obesity by supporting blood sugar balance, insulin sensitivity, satiety, and healthy gut bacteria. (3, 8)
• Manage blood pressure and support cardiovascular function. (3)
• Protect against cardiovascular disease through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering, and endothelial-supporting mechanisms. (3, 6)
• Lower cholesterol and support healthier lipid metabolism. (15, 19)
• Possibly fight cancer and slow tumor growth through anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, apoptosis-supporting, and anti-angiogenic mechanisms shown in cell, animal, and mechanistic research. (5, 9)
• Support brain health and protect against oxidative stress. (3, 4)

In fact, research published by the American Association for Cancer Research explains that a variety of bioactive food components have been shown to modulate inflammatory responses and attenuate carcinogenesis, meaning they can weaken the process of cancer development. (5)

That doesn’t mean one food is a magic bullet. It means God-given plant foods and herbal remedies, including essential oils, contain bioactive compounds that help your body fight back against the processes that steal health.

So what does this mean for you?

It means you can bolster your so-called “nonessential” nutrition by incorporating more of these foods into your daily life, one meal, one snack, one cup of tea, and one diffuser blend at a time.

Why You Need Bioactive Foods in Your Diet

Every day, we are bombarded by toxins in our food, soil, water, and air. In short, all around us.

These toxins include:

• Organophosphates and other pesticides used in homes, yards, schools, and conventional agriculture.
• Chlorine, pesticides, preservatives, artificial colors, synthetic flavors, and other chemicals added to or sprayed on foods.
• Overuse of antibiotics, which contributes to antibiotic resistance and can disrupt healthy gut bacteria, an important contributor to a healthy immune system.
• Ultra-processed foods that crowd out the whole foods your body needs for cellular repair, detoxification, and metabolic health.

This is why reducing your toxic burden matters. But detoxification is not just about what you stop doing. It is also about what you start eating.

Bioactive foods support the body’s natural detoxification systems by providing antioxidants, fiber, sulfur-containing compounds, polyphenols, minerals, and healthy fats that help the liver, gut, kidneys, lymphatic system, and immune system do their jobs. Cruciferous vegetables, berries, herbs, spices, green tea, legumes, seeds, and healthy fats are especially important here.

It’s great to see science moving in this direction, but you don’t need to wait for the next study to start improving your health. You can begin today by adding more bioactive foods to your diet and removing the processed, chemical-laden foods that keep so many families trapped in poor health.

The Essential Eight Bioactive Foods

As mentioned, not all bioactive foods are equal. We have picked out the “Essential Eight” foods that you should be putting into your diet to maximize your health.

These are all rich in bioactive compounds that promote overall health or support fat-burning by addressing issues such as inflammation, stress, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and toxic burden, all contributors to the most common diseases in America today.

The Essential Eight are:

1. Seeds

Seeds are embryonic plants. Think about that for a moment. They contain everything needed to help new plant life begin, which is one reason they are so rich in life-enhancing properties.

Some great examples that you can easily incorporate into smoothies, breakfasts, salads, and other dishes include:

• Hemp seed: Full of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, hemp seeds are rich in plant protein, healthy lipids, vitamin E, minerals, and essential fatty acids. (12) They can also support healthy inflammation pathways. See our allergy-friendly recipes using hempseeds for inspiration.
• Cacao seeds: Cacao is a powerful antioxidant food that can help regulate immune and inflammatory responses. In an animal study, dietary cocoa helped offset hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, fatty liver, and obesity-related inflammation caused by a high-fat diet. (13) Use 72% or more cacao nibs or sugar-free bars.
• Chia seeds are rich in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and polyphenols. Research suggests chia may help lower total cholesterol and increase HDL “good” cholesterol, supporting cardiovascular health. (14) They feature in our Bioactive Smoothie Breakfast Bowl.
• Flaxseed is rich in lignans, fiber, and alpha-linolenic acid. Recent research shows flaxseed can improve body weight, BMI, lipid levels, and blood pressure, making it a simple food to support weight management and cardiovascular wellness. (15)

Application: Add one to two tablespoons of ground flaxseed, chia, or hempseed to your smoothie, oatmeal, chia pudding, salad, or allergy-friendly baked goods. Small daily habits matter more than occasional heroic efforts.

2. Healthy Fats and Oils

Healthy fats and oils are an important part of a balanced diet. However, not all of them are created equal. Vegetable oils, shortening, and margarine are unhealthy foods even though they are often labeled as healthy choices.

Here are some excellent choices:

• Extra-virgin olive oil is one of the best overall sources of fat. Adding it to a nutritious diet can support healthy weight and cardiovascular wellness. It contains oleic acid, polyphenols, and antioxidants that support healthy inflammation pathways and may reduce cardiovascular event and stroke risk. We get our high-quality olive oil fresh-pressed here. (16)
• Avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fats, which help your body absorb carotenoids and other fat-soluble bioactive compounds. In human research, adding avocado or avocado oil to salsa and salad significantly increased carotenoid absorption. (17)
• Butter is an important dietary fat that must be consumed in moderation if you can tolerate it. Conventional butter, however, often comes from cows that are fed GMO feed and may be administered antibiotics. Always choose non-GMO and organic butter, preferably from grass-fed cows.

Application: Use extra-virgin olive oil on salads and finished dishes, avocado oil for higher-heat cooking, and organic grass-fed butter sparingly if it agrees with your body.

3. Fruit

Some fad diets, like Atkins or the ketogenic diet, restrict the consumption of fruit. However, fruit contains some of the most important bioactive compounds in the human diet.

Fruit was not created to be feared. It was created to nourish.

• Berries of all varieties are packed with anthocyanins, polyphenols, antioxidants, and fiber. Their tiny seeds are a great source of fiber, which can help suppress appetite and support gut health.
• Eating avocados, not just the oil, can help you absorb bioactive compounds better and can reduce your desire to eat more. They’re also a good source of fiber and vitamin K, which supports healthy weight and metabolic function. (17)
• Grapefruit has been researched as a weight-loss tool and may be beneficial in managing insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk factors. In one clinical study, fresh grapefruit intake was associated with weight loss and improved insulin resistance in people with metabolic syndrome. (18) Be sure to eat the whole fruit, not just the juice, for the most benefit. However, grapefruit can interact with certain pharmaceuticals, so ask your doctor before adding it to your diet if you take medications.

Application: Add berries to breakfast, use avocado to help absorb nutrients from salads and salsa, and enjoy grapefruit only if it is safe with your medications.

4. Cruciferous Vegetables

This is one of the healthiest food groups we consume. Cruciferous vegetables are potent anti-inflammatories, cancer fighters, and natural detoxifiers. They are rich in bioactive compounds, vitamins C, E, and K, folate, fiber, minerals, glucosinolates, indoles, and isothiocyanates.

In cell and animal research, the National Cancer Institute notes that compounds in cruciferous vegetables have been shown to:

• Protect cells from DNA damage
• Inactivate carcinogens
• Produce antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects
• Induce cell death, also called apoptosis
• Inhibit angiogenesis, tumor blood vessel formation, and tumor cell migration needed for metastasis

Human cancer research is more complex, but the mechanistic data is powerful and supports what we have said for years: cruciferous vegetables belong on your plate often. (9)

The best choices include:

• Broccoli, which contains sulforaphane and other glucosinolate-derived compounds that support detoxification, liver health, inflammation balance, and cancer-fighting pathways. Buy it fresh when possible, as prepackaged or heavily processed versions may have reduced levels of bioactive compounds.
• Bok choy contains sulforaphane precursors, lutein, vitamins A, B, and C, and other anti-inflammatory, cancer-protective compounds. It’s very low in calories and high in fiber.
• Cabbage, kale, arugula, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mustard greens, turnips, and watercress are also excellent options to rotate into your meals.

Application: Eat cruciferous vegetables raw, lightly steamed, sautéed, roasted, or fermented. Try to include them several times a week, and ideally daily if your digestion tolerates them.

5. Nuts

While they are calorie-dense, nuts are nutritional powerhouses full of protein, unsaturated fat, fiber, minerals, and polyphenols. A handful of nuts a day can help support healthy weight, blood sugar balance, and heart health. See our Fill-in-the-Gap Nut Snack Recipe for a delicious way of using nuts.

• Almonds: Current evidence suggests almond consumption does not promote weight gain and may modestly improve LDL cholesterol, diastolic blood pressure, and glycemic measures. (19) Almonds also help increase fullness, making them a wonderful “fill-in-the-gap” food.
• Walnuts offer many of the same benefits as almonds but contain higher amounts of plant-based omega-3 fats. This makes them a particularly helpful nut for inflammation balance, metabolic health, and type 2 diabetes prevention.

Application: Keep a small container of raw almonds, walnuts, or our fill-in-the-gap nut mix with you so you are not tempted by vending machine snacks, drive-through food, or sugar-loaded “health bars.”

6. Legumes

Legumes contain bioactive components that may reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. They are also packed with fiber, prebiotic carbohydrates, minerals, and antioxidants that help combat high blood sugar and excessive lipids in the blood, common problems for people who follow a typical American diet. (20)

Note: We do not recommend soybeans or unfermented soy products as a legume choice because they are almost invariably GMO and can be problematic for many people.

• Black beans contain bioactive compounds known as anthocyanidins that give fruits and vegetables their deep color. These compounds help support healthier post-meal blood sugar, which is particularly important in preventing the onset of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Black beans are a prime ingredient in our healthy, no-sugar brownie recipe.
• Lentils may be green, black, red, or yellow, and all varieties contain numerous bioactive components as well as prebiotic carbohydrates that help your healthy gut bacteria survive. Prebiotic carbohydrates and dietary fiber have the potential to reduce the risks of obesity, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Lentils are featured in our hearty Kale Lentil Soup.

Application: Add beans or lentils to soups, salads, tacos, casseroles, and allergy-friendly baked goods. They are inexpensive, filling, fiber-rich, and wonderfully bioactive.

7. Wild-Caught Cold-Water Salmon

Fish is an important protein food to include in your diet if you are not vegetarian or vegan. Avoid farmed fish, which are fed grains and other unnatural ingredients that change their fat makeup.

Cold-water fish are rich in omega-3 fats, making their consumption conducive to cardiovascular health. The American Heart Association recommends one to two seafood servings per week, and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements notes that consuming fish and seafood as part of a balanced diet promotes heart health. (11)

Avoid fish species that are endangered from overfishing. Check SeafoodWatch.org to find a list. Cold-water salmon is harvested in the waters of Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and Northern Europe, among other sources. Avoid Atlantic salmon.

Omega-3 fatty acids provided by consuming these fish can help moderate inflammation. Along with caloric restriction, eating wild salmon has shown benefits for weight loss and decreasing some inflammation markers.

Application: Choose wild-caught salmon, sardines, anchovies, or other low-toxin cold-water fish when possible. Keep portions moderate and pair fish with cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens, and healthy fats for a deeply bioactive meal.

8. Teas

Purified or distilled water is a necessary drink, but when you need flavor, tea is your go-to solution. Herbal teas and green teas are rich in bioactive compounds and can help replace sugary drinks, coffee drinks, and artificially flavored beverages.

• Matcha green tea is one of the best sources of catechins, bioactive compounds that act as antioxidants. Clinical research suggests green tea catechins can support fat metabolism and reduce body fat, particularly when combined with a healthy lifestyle. (21, 22) Learn about a matcha tea brand we love.
• Rooibos and holy basil tea: This blend combines rooibos, which contains polyphenols that may help regulate adipocyte function and obesity-related inflammation, with holy basil, also known as tulsi, an herb traditionally used to increase energy and help the body adapt to stress. (23) Combined, they form a tea that revs you up when you’re feeling sluggish.
• Senna tea stimulates the intestines, aiding in the natural process of elimination. Traditional Medicinal’s Smooth Move tea is a natural, gentle bowel cleanser best taken at bedtime for occasional use.

Application: Start your day with matcha or green tea, enjoy rooibos-tulsi in the afternoon, and reserve senna tea for occasional elimination support rather than daily long-term use.

Essential Oils Are Also Bioactive Compounds

Foods are not the only way to access important bioactive compounds. Essential oils are also inherently bioactive but, unlike bioactive-rich foods, they are not a source of nutrition.

For example, both the fruit of a lemon and lemon essential oil, which is extracted from the rind, contain bioactive compounds. But lemon essential oil doesn’t provide energy in the form of calories, vitamins, or minerals. However, together they become far more than the sum of their parts. Essential oils offer a more concentrated form of bioactivity than food does.

These minute but highly concentrated compounds are able to support healing in the body and soul with metabolic effects that can assist in weight loss, or weight gain if that is your concern. Certain oils can also boost your energy so you can be more active and burn more body fat.

However, you need to use caution when using essential oils. The scientific term for essential oils is volatile organic compounds. The volatile components of a plant are the parts that are quickly released into the air. Essential oils are why you smell lavender when you lean down to sniff the blooms.

When using essential oils, proper dilution is always recommended. The three basic ways to use them include inhaling them, applying them to your skin, or consuming them.

Inhalation from a diffuser is the safest and most popular way to use them. Diffuse 4-5 drops of essential oils in a diffuser blend as directed. Be sure your room is well-ventilated, especially if you have children or pets. Run it for a few minutes only at first to gauge your reaction.

When applying topically, make sure that you use a carrier oil and dilute properly. Read more about the benefits of different carrier oils, download a chart detailing proper dilution rates, or learn how to consume essential oils safely.

The Physical Benefits of Using Essential Oils

How can essential oils help you reach your ideal weight?

Essential oils have a host of healthy applications, supported by research. Reviews of essential oils and their natural constituents show that they contain terpenes, terpenoids, phenylpropanoids, and other volatile compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, metabolic, and neuroactive properties. (24, 26)

Grapefruit, lime, peppermint, and cinnamon oils support appetite reduction, fat-burning, and other processes key to weight loss. Much of the metabolic research on essential oils is preclinical, but it is promising. For example, d-limonene, a major citrus oil constituent, has shown anti-obesity activity in cell and animal research, and grapefruit oil has been shown in preclinical research to inhibit adipogenesis, the creation of new fat cells. (25, 27, 28)

Orange oil is one of the most versatile and affordable essential oils and is an effective mood booster. Bergamot, another citrus oil, enhances weight loss efforts, provides stress relief, and reduces anxiety.

Topical applications of both peppermint and lavender oils are proven pain relievers, and peppermint can help you get moving when you start a fitness routine as well as improve performance, endurance, and respiration rate. Several oils are known for their blood-sugar balancing prowess, including clove, lavender, melissa, also known as lemon balm, and lemongrass. They can help relieve stress, tame inflammation, and help heal your gut.

This is just a small sampling of how the bioactive compounds in essential oils can help you achieve greater health. Learn more do’s and don’ts on using essential oils safely with our Essential Oils for Abundant Living Masterclass Video Series.

What to Expect with Bioactive Foods

Your health is either robust or poor, depending on your diet’s proportion of bioactive foods. Many of these compounds are present in foods that you are probably already eating, but taking the time and effort to include more of them can have a real impact on your life.

These benefits include:

• You will burn calories more efficiently, helping you lose weight and attain your ideal weight.
• Your cells will be better protected against free radicals, reducing illness and slowing down aging.
• A diet filled with bioactive compounds fine-tunes your metabolism so that your energy level remains high throughout the day.
• This also enables peak mental and physical performance.
• Since you are not tied to any fad diet, you will have more food freedom as you integrate the many colors and flavors of bioactive-rich foods into your diet.

As you can see, bioactive compounds provide a wealth of health benefits. Adding them to your diet and your diffuser can help with many goals, including achieving your body’s ideal weight. With so many varieties and options, you have the freedom to create a healthy diet that you will enjoy while losing weight.

It’s not that difficult to get started, but here’s a good place to begin: with our fat-burning matcha latte recipe.

This is just one example of the many life-changing recipes you can use to reach your ideal weight with The Essential Oils Diet program. After you’ve grabbed a copy of the book for yourself, be sure you sign up for the bonuses and join the private group coaching community.

Bioactive Foods FAQs

What are bioactive foods?

Bioactive foods are foods rich in natural compounds that influence cellular, physiological, and metabolic activity in the body. Examples include berries, cruciferous vegetables, seeds, nuts, legumes, green tea, herbs, spices, healthy fats, and other whole foods rich in phytochemicals.

What are examples of bioactive compounds?

Examples of bioactive compounds include polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, lignans, anthocyanins, catechins, terpenes, terpenoids, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber.

Do bioactive foods help with weight loss?

Yes, bioactive foods can help support weight loss by improving satiety, supporting healthy blood sugar, reducing oxidative stress, improving gut health, supporting inflammation balance, and helping the body burn calories more efficiently. The goal is not another fad diet. The goal is transformation through a bioactive-rich lifestyle.

Are essential oils bioactive compounds?

Yes, essential oils are bioactive compounds. They are not foods and they do not provide nutrition, but they contain concentrated volatile plant chemicals that can influence mood, metabolism, inflammation, microbes, stress response, energy, and other body systems when used properly.

What are the best bioactive foods to start with?

Start with the Essential Eight: seeds, healthy fats and oils, fruit, cruciferous vegetables, nuts, legumes, wild-caught cold-water salmon, and teas. A simple first step is to add berries and seeds to breakfast, cruciferous vegetables to lunch or dinner, and green tea or herbal tea to your daily rhythm.

Can supplements replace bioactive foods?

No. Supplements can be helpful in targeted situations, but they cannot replace the complex, synergistic nutrition found in whole foods. Bioactive-rich foods contain fiber, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, healthy fats, phytochemicals, and cofactors that work together in ways isolated supplements cannot fully duplicate.

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