“Imagine leaving a doctor’s appointment with a new prescription in hand, but instead of heading to the pharmacy, you go to the grocery store. Instead of getting just pills, you get produce, too.”

PhytoRx is a produce prescription program provided through NC State “Plants for Human Health institute”, NC Cooperative Extension, HealthReach Community Clinic, and FeedNC.

How does it work?

 Physicians at HealthReach Community Clinic are providing patients with prescriptions for specific foods and FeedNC is acting as the pharmacy to fill the patient’s food prescriptions weekly! Patients are also receiving education and healthy recipes throughout the pilot program.

Anthocyanins & Carotenoids

Anthocyanins and carotenoids are phytochemicals found in plants that offer protection against environmental stresses the plant may face. These pigments are also bioactive in the human body in a similar biological stress-fighting way. These might be compared to the active ingredient in a traditional medication.

Anthocyanins are red and purple pigments, while carotenoids are orange and yellow pigments. Typically, the color of the food can indicate the presence of these pigments, but not always, if they are masked by a different pigment. For example, the darker, green chlorophyll in spinach hides from our sight the lighter colored carotenoids that are present.