The ocean holds about 97 percent of the Earth's water; the remaining three percent is distributed in many different places, including glaciers and ice, below the ground, in rivers and lakes, and in the atmosphere. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there are over. of water on the planet.
Phytochemicals are compounds that are produced by plants (phyto means plant). They are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and other plants. Some of these phytochemicals are believed to protect cells from damage that could lead to cancer.
Some of the most extensively researched phytochemicals are phytoestrogens (FY-TOH-ESS-TRO-JENS), which include isoflavones (EYE-SO-FLAY-VONES) (high amounts of which are found in soy foods), coumestans (COO-MAY-STANS), and lignans. These chemicals may protect against breast cancer by protecting cells from estrogen. Because of their similar structure to estrogenâhence the name phytoestrogenâthese plant estrogens are able to take up space on estrogen receptors where the body's estrogen otherwise would have attached.