Why no daily recommendations for phytonutrients?

[Jebus]

While there is lots of ready information about our macro and micro nutritional needs, it is very difficult to find good information about phytonutrients. Why does the FDA find these less important? Is this a case of lack of research funding? I would love to know how much I need of each phytonutrient and if there are any upper limits so I don't get too much of them.

[brimstoneSalad]

I'm not familiar with any that have upper limits; at least you wouldn't encounter this in whole foods. If you're taking a supplement it's possible.

The daily minimum amount is around 5 servings of fruits/veggies. After that, more is better (within the scope of what you could eat from whole foods), but there are diminishing returns.

It's kind of like a neighborhood benefits from a certain number of policemen, but having one standing around every fifty feet probably isn't going to reduce crime much more than one every couple blocks.

[Jebus]

Are phytonutrients always antioxidants or are there phytonutrients that have other benefits?

The other thing I have been unable to learn about phytonutrients is if our bodies require many different types of them. When talking about macro and micronutrients the recommendations are clear about how much we need for all the different types. However, nutrition labels never list phytos and the experts only talk about phytonutrients as a group.

[brimstoneSalad]

I don't think we really know.
I would hedge my bets by eating at least 2-3 kinds of veggies and fruits.

I think allium and cruciferous are the best veggies (buy dark/purple if you can find them, but I'd also mix it up a little within those groups), in addition to sweet potato/carrot for vitamin A, and then berries are the best fruits to choose. Mixed frozen berries seem to be a good choice.
Bananas don't have much in the way of phytonutrients, but it's hard to make a good smoothie without a banana and they do supply some potassium (and they have good yield for fruit) so I think it's worth eating 1-2 a day.

[Jamie in Chile]

All I've read about nutrition only really touches on this subject. Although I know very little about it I got the sense that people don't know enough about it to make a reccomendation, although this is usually implied rather than explicitly stated when you read books/articles that only touch on the specific topic of phytonutrients.

I suspect there is enough scientific data to link vegetables to good health but not enough to confidently link specific phytonutrients to health benefits. If I'm wrong and this is such research, it may not be well known.

[Jebus]

more is better (within the scope of what you could eat from whole foods), but there are diminishing returns.

As there are upper limits on both macro and micro nutrients (even when just eating whole foods) should we not assume the same with phytonutrients until future research indicates otherwise?

I suspect there is enough scientific data to link vegetables to good health but not enough to confidently link specific phytonutrients to health benefits. If I'm wrong and this is such research, it may not be well known.

There is plenty of research linking antioxidants with health benefits.

[brimstoneSalad]

As there are upper limits on both macro and micro nutrients (even when just eating whole foods) should we not assume the same with phytonutrients until future research indicates otherwise?

Likely, but I doubt it would be anything you would reach with whole food sources.
You're more likely to exceed recommended amounts for normal micro nutrients like Vitamin C before being in any danger of excess phytonutrients.

I don't think there's any research on that. I wouldn't go hammering any supplements though.