Health benefits of fucoxanthin in the prevention of chronic diseases

AbstractFood synergy is a concept of linking foods to health. Food consists of mixtures of nutrients, serving as a fuel for the body. When synergistic foods are put together, the evidence for potential health benefits becomes stronger than individual foods. Nutrient deficiency is a known phenomenon in many individuals, and synergy plays a very important role in combating the nutritional deficiency. Today’s consumer expresses high interest to build knowledge on the active role of food in their well-being, as well as in the prevention of non-transmissible chronic diseases. Functional foods and their active compounds play a vital role in preventing chronic diseases, improving immunity, and decreasing infections. The concept of synergy is an overthinking in nutrition research which can enhance effective dietary planning value added to the forthcoming nutrition research. This paper gives an overview of various synergic combinations of food components and their interactions within the food and with the human system to attain ideal health benefits.

Download Full-text

Nutritional and Antioxidant Value of Horticulturae Products

Horticulturae ◽

10.3390/horticulturae8010004 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 4

Author(s):

Lucia Guidi ◽

Luigi De Bellis ◽

Alberto Pardossi

Keyword(s):

Chronic Diseases ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Fruit And Vegetables

The recent growing interest towards the nutraceutical and antioxidant value of fruit and vegetables has arisen from their content of phytochemicals, which provide desirable health benefits, beyond basic nutrition, to reduce the risk of major chronic diseases [...]

Download Full-text

Health Effects of Plant Foods and the Possibility of Reducing Health Risk

10.5772/intechopen.94096 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Martina Valachovičová ◽

Lucia Bírošová

Keyword(s):

Health Risk ◽

Health Effects ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Inverse Relationship ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Vegetarian Diet ◽

Plant Foods ◽

Potential Risks ◽

Food Commodities ◽

Nutritional Studies

Many nutritional studies point to an inverse relationship between diet with predominant consumption of plant foods and the incidence of diseases of civilization. The health benefits of plant foods come from a sufficient intake of protective nutrients, which are key food commodities of the vegetarian diet. These include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and oilseeds, including various types of nuts. The nutritional and non-nutritional components of plant foods reduce the risk of chronic diseases by various mechanisms, so a well-planned vegetarian diet is nutritionally adequate, fully healthy and able to provide health benefits in the prevention of many diseases. The data we find agree that the benefits far outweigh the potential risks.

Download Full-text

Anthocyanins: From Mechanisms of Regulation in Plants to Health Benefits in Foods

Frontiers in Plant Science ◽

10.3389/fpls.2021.748049 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Francesca Cappellini ◽

Alessandra Marinelli ◽

Marta Toccaceli ◽

Chiara Tonelli ◽

Katia Petroni

Keyword(s):

Chronic Diseases ◽

Plant Species ◽

Translational Regulation ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Anthocyanin Biosynthesis ◽

Biological Activities ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Protective Effects ◽

Human Diet ◽

Important Health

Anthocyanins represent the major red, purple, and blue pigments in many flowers, fruits, vegetables, and cereals. They are also recognized as important health-promoting components in the human diet with protective effects against many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and cancer. Anthocyanin biosynthesis has been studied extensively, and both biosynthetic and key regulatory genes have been isolated in many plant species. Here, we will provide an overview of recent progress in understanding the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway in plants, focusing on the transcription factors controlling activation or repression of anthocyanin accumulation in cereals and fruits of different plant species, with special emphasis on the differences in molecular mechanisms between monocot and dicot plants. Recently, new insight into the transcriptional regulation of the anthocyanin biosynthesis, including positive and negative feedback control as well as epigenetic and post-translational regulation of MYB-bHLH-WD40 complexes, has been gained. We will consider how knowledge of regulatory mechanisms has helped to produce anthocyanin-enriched foods through conventional breeding and metabolic engineering. Additionally, we will briefly discuss the biological activities of anthocyanins as components of the human diet and recent findings demonstrating the important health benefits of anthocyanin-rich foods against chronic diseases.

Download Full-text

Potential Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11198951 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (19) ◽

pp. 8951

Author(s):

Luca Mazzoni ◽

Maria Teresa Ariza Fernández ◽

Franco Capocasa

Keyword(s):

Chronic Diseases ◽

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Potential Health ◽

Balanced Diet

In recent decades, the consciousness of consumers regarding the importance of a balanced diet to prevent the occurrence of chronic diseases has significantly increased [...]

Download Full-text

A time to fast

Science ◽

10.1126/science.aau2095 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 362 (6416) ◽

pp. 770-775 ◽

Cited By ~ 98

Author(s):

Andrea Di Francesco ◽

Clara Di Germanio ◽

Michel Bernier ◽

Rafael de Cabo

Keyword(s):

Chronic Diseases ◽

Energy Intake ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Caloric Intake ◽

Nutrient Composition ◽

Meal Size ◽

Energy Utilization ◽

Future Research ◽

Physiological Processes ◽

Repair Mechanisms

Nutrient composition and caloric intake have traditionally been used to devise optimized diets for various phases of life. Adjustment of meal size and frequency have emerged as powerful tools to ameliorate and postpone the onset of disease and delay aging, whereas periods of fasting, with or without reduced energy intake, can have profound health benefits. The underlying physiological processes involve periodic shifts of metabolic fuel sources, promotion of repair mechanisms, and the optimization of energy utilization for cellular and organismal health. Future research endeavors should be directed to the integration of a balanced nutritious diet with controlled meal size and patterns and periods of fasting to develop better strategies to prevent, postpone, and treat the socioeconomical burden of chronic diseases associated with aging.

Download Full-text

Mechanistic Aspects of Carotenoid Health Benefits – Where are we Now?

Nutrition Research Reviews ◽

10.1017/s0954422421000147 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-66

Author(s):

Torsten Bohn ◽

M. Luisa Bonet ◽

Patrick Borel ◽

Jaap Keijer ◽

Jean-Francois Landrier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Diseases ◽

Synergistic Effects ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Nuclear Hormone Receptor ◽

Basic Principles ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

Intervention Trials ◽

The Individual ◽

Antioxidant Mechanisms

Abstract Dietary intake and tissue levels of carotenoids have been associated with a reduced risk of several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity, brain related diseases and some types of cancer. However, intervention trials with isolated carotenoid supplements have mostly failed to confirm the postulated health benefits. It has thereby been speculated that dosing, matrix and synergistic effects, as well as underlying health and the individual nutritional status plus genetic background do play a role. It appears that our knowledge on carotenoid-mediated health benefits may still be incomplete, as the underlying mechanisms of action are poorly understood in relation to human relevance. Antioxidant mechanisms – direct or via transcription factors such as NRF2 and NF-κB - and activation of nuclear hormone receptor pathways such as of RAR/RXR or also PPARs, via carotenoid-metabolites, are the basic principles which we try to connect with carotenoid-transmitted health benefits as exemplified with described common diseases including obesity/diabetes and cancer. Depending on the targeted diseases, single or multiple mechanisms of actions may play a role. In this review and position paper, we try to highlight our present knowledge on carotenoid metabolism and mechanisms translatable into health benefits related to several chronic diseases.

Download Full-text

Health Benefits and Molecular Mechanisms of Resveratrol: A Narrative Review

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods9030340 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 340 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Xiao Meng ◽

Jing Zhou ◽

Cai-Ning Zhao ◽

Ren-You Gan ◽

Hua-Bin Li

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trials ◽

Cardiovascular Diseases ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Liver Diseases ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Bioactive Compound ◽

Protective Effects ◽

Epidemiological Surveys

Resveratrol is a bioactive compound in many foods. Since its anticancer activity was reported in 1997, its health benefits have been intensively investigated. Resveratrol has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, glucose and lipid regulatory, neuroprotective, and cardiovascular protective effects, therefore, can protect against diverse chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer, liver diseases, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. This review summarizes the main findings of resveratrol-related health benefits in recent epidemiological surveys, experimental studies, and clinical trials, highlighting its related molecular mechanisms. Resveratrol, therefore, has been regarded as a potent candidate for the development of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals to prevent and treat certain chronic diseases.

Download Full-text

A Review of Procyanidin: Updates on Current Bioactivities and Potential Health Benefits

Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry ◽

10.33263/briac125.59185940 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 5918-5940

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Metabolic Disorders ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Potential Health ◽

Macrophage Activity ◽

Cellular Effects ◽

Current Review ◽

Anti Inflammatory

Procyanidin is an abundant polyphenol found in nature. It is composed of flavan-3-ol units, including catechin and epicatechin. Procyanidin is a polyphenolic polymer found in abundance in grapes, cranberries, apples, tea, cocoa, and pine bark. Procyanidin possessed antioxidant, anticancer, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and antiallergy properties and protected against chronic diseases and metabolic disorders. Consequently, procyanidin may protect against chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and immune-related diseases. Procyanidin acts as an anti-inflammatory, inhibits adipogenesis, melanogenesis, oxidative stress, and enhances lipid metabolism and macrophage activity. The current review summarized the numerous potential health benefits of procyanidin. Despite recent advances, multiple questions and challenges remain regarding procyanidin’s action, biogenesis, and bioavailability mechanisms. Further investigation of procyanidin’s metabolism, genetics, and cellular effects is necessary and should be pursued.

Download Full-text

Dietary Soy Isoflavone: A Mechanistic Insight

Natural Product Communications ◽

10.1177/1934578x1701200439 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 1934578X1701200 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Renu Chadha ◽

Yashika Bhalla ◽

Ankita Jain ◽

Kunal Chadha ◽

Maninder Karan

Keyword(s):

Protective Effect ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Functional Foods ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Mechanisms Of Action ◽

Soy Isoflavones ◽

Future Research ◽

Soy Isoflavone ◽

Mechanistic Insight ◽

Nutraceutical Properties

Soy, a major component of the diet for centuries contains the largest concentration of isoflavones, a class of phytoestrogens. A variety of health benefits are associated with the consumption of soy primarily because of the isoflavones genistein, daidzein, and glycitein with a potential protective effect against a number of chronic diseases. Owing to the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical properties allied with isoflavonoids and their use in functional foods, there is a growing interest in these compounds. This review throws light on the chemistry, and significant pharmacological and biopharmaceutical aspects of soy isoflavones. This article critically describes the mechanisms of action, infers conclusions and shows opportunity for future research.

Download Full-text