Beneficial (and some negative) Plant/Natural Chemicals
Introduction to plants and their chemicals
The expression, “Let Food be Thy Medicine” is a famous quote by the Greek physician Hippocrates (c. 460 – c. 370 BC). But which foods?
Plants and their compounds can certainly have beneficial effects. Herbs and herbal remedies have been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine for various conditions in a safe and effective manner. Some of the qualities being anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherosclerotic, antibacterial, antimitotic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, local anesthetic, hypnotic, psychotropic, and antitumor activity, antifungal antibacterial, antiviral, cholesterol-lowering inflammatory, antihypertensive, vasodilator effects, antiobesity, antihypercholesterolemic and antiatherosclerotic activities.
But just because something comes from a plant, doesn’t automatically mean it’s good for you. Depending on the particular compound, it can be beneficial, neutral, or even negative. Some plant chemicals are beneficial unless you ingest too much. Some have beneficial and detrimental chemicals in the same plant.
And the terms used: polyphenol, resveratrol, flavonoid, lectin, oxylates, etc. can make a head spin!
Vegetables do often contain toxins and anti-nutrients that interfere with the absorption of nutrients. The toxins are natural defenses that the plant uses to ward off the insects, predators, and fungi that might attack it. Fortunately, many toxins can be deactivated with proper cooking.
Additionally, new world fruits and vegetables have posed a very recent introduction to the vast majority of world population, that is except for the native Americans. Until the explorers introduced them, no European, African or Asian had ever been exposed to them, which means, their body, gut bacteria, and immune system were ill-prepared to tolerate them, although the response from the body is often subtle to imperceptible. Such negative (albeit subtle to imperceptible) responses often extend to this date as this introduction happened 500 years ago, which put into perspective is trifling in comparison to the entire human evolution timeline, suggesting we still haven’t adjusted to them. New world fruits and vegetables include foods from the bean family (legumes, peanuts, cashews), grains, pseudo-grains such as amaranth and quinoa, the squash family (pumpkins, acorn squash, zucchini) as well as chia and certain seeds.
But especially for APOE4s, there are beneficial compounds that come from plants. Certain phytochemicals have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-amyloid, and anticholinesterase properties - the four fundamental pillars identified in the process of Alzheimer’s.
ADD GRAPHIC - NATURAL PRODUCTS AND AD Caption: Neuroprotective effects from natural products. Source: Neuroprotective Natural Products for Alzheimer’s Disease (Xin Chen et al, 25 May 2021)
Phytochemicals can offer neuroprotective effects which not only act at the level of blocking the progression of Alzheimer’s but also aid in Alzheimer’s prevention. By incorporating natural compounds with other therapeutic interventions, the onset or progression of Alzheimer’s could be dramatically reduced, counteracting the estimate that the number of people with dementia will nearly triple to more than 152 million by 2050. [Source: Global dementia cases forecasted to triple by 2050 (Alzheimer's Association, 27 Jul 2021)]
This is not a comprehensive article but an attempt to condense and simplify the subject as well as cover studies of particular interest to APOE4s regarding phytochemicals with emphasis on Alzheimer’s Disease.
ADD GRAPHIC – MECHANISMS OF PHYTOCHEMICALS IN AD Phytochemicals can aid the brain in many ways. Source: Figure 1 from Multi-Target Mechanisms of Phytochemicals in Alzheimer’s Disease: Effects on Oxidative Stress, Neuroinflammation and Protein Aggregation(Javad Sharifi-Rad et al, 12 Aug 2022)