From the blueberries indigenous to North America to green tea in Japan and turmeric in South Asia, certain plants have long been prized by ancient cultures for their health benefits. Now, there’s a growing body of modern scien­tific evidence that affirms these benefits—and suggests we all have much to gain from tapping the powers of plants. “It’s an exciting area of research because these nutrients have the potential to prevent or help treat a variety of health conditions,” says Dr. Michael R. Lyon, an adjunct professor in the food, nutrition and health program at the University of British Columbia and the director of the Canadian Centre for Functional Medicine, an independent research institute.

We scoured the latest research to get the lowdown on five important plant compounds.