Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals : August 2019

Saturday 31 August 2019

Healthy Legume Navy Bean, the Best Natural Antioxidants

By Kyle J. Norton

Antioxidants are stable atoms which inhibit oxidation induced by free radicals.

Free radicals are highly unstable atoms. Internally, free radicals are produced by our body cell metabolism. Externally, free radical can enter our body from the environment sources, such as the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink.

In other words, any chemicals compounds or molecules which process an oxygen atom can be free radicals in a chemical reaction with other atoms.

According to the epidemiological studies, free radicals are dangerous to human health in excessive amount. Overexpression of free radicals induced oxidative stress has been found to damage the lipid, and protein and induce the alternation of healthy cell DNA.

Out of all damages caused by overexpression of free radicals, some researchers suggested that lipid peroxidation induced by free radical has a strong implication in the pathogenesis of various disorders and diseases.

In a healthy person, antioxidants produced by the body are more than enough to counter the expression of free radicals. However, in people with a weakened immune system, intake of dietary antioxidants regularly can be helpful.

Oxidative stress can either be caused by overexpression of free radicals or depletion of antioxidant enzymes produced by the host.

Some researchers suggested that by balancing the ratio of free radicals and antioxidants in the body, diseases associated with oxidative stress can be preventable.

Dr. Monica H Carlsen wrote, "A plant-based diet protects against chronic oxidative stress-related diseases. Dietary plants contain variable chemical families and amounts of antioxidants".

And, "there are several thousand-fold differences in antioxidant content of foods. Spices, herbs, and supplements include the most antioxidant rich products in our study, some exceptionally high. Berries, fruits, nuts, chocolate, vegetables, and products thereof constitute common foods and beverages with high antioxidant values".

The results strongly suggested that intake of a higher amount of berries, fruits, nuts, chocolate, vegetables which are antioxidant-rich products can protect us against the risk of diseases associated with oxidative stress.

The small, white navy bean, also called pea bean or haricot, popular in both dry and green forms, is very popular in Britain and the US, native to Peru. the beans are now grown and consumed across the world, due to their numerous health benefits.

With an aim to find a natural compound for the treatment of diseases associated with oxidative stress, researchers examined the antioxidant effects of a pinto bean, cowpea, baby lima bean, lentil, chickpea, small red bean, red kidney bean, black kidney bean, navy bean, and mung bean extracts.

Navy bean showed significant lesser antioxidant activity in vitro compared to those of lentils with total antioxidant activity (720.68 U/g), DPPH• scavenging activity (38.5%).

In free radical scavenging activity, navy bean also showed a lesser activity compared to those of black kidney bean (85.68%) and baby lima bean (74.97%) extracts in inhibiting oxidation of Amongst the extracts, hydroxyl radicals (•OH).

In the chemical analysis, the total antioxidant activity (r=0.84), DPPH• scavenging activity (r=0.83), and total reducing power (r=0.84) were positively correlated with the total phenolic content which also lower in the navy been compared to those of lentils.

Taken altogether, navy bean may be considered a natural antioxidant for the treatment of diseases associated with oxidative stress, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Sources
(1) In vitro antioxidant activity of extracts from common legumes by Zhao Y1, Du SK2, Wang H1, Cai M. (PubMed)
(2) The total antioxidant content of more than 3100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs and supplements used worldwide by Monica H Carlsen,#1 Bente L Halvorsen,#1 Kari Holte,1 Siv K Bøhn,1 Steinar Dragland,2Laura Sampson,3 Carol Willey,3 Haruki Senoo,4 Yuko Umezono,4 Chiho Sanada,4Ingrid Barikmo,5 Nega Berhe,1 Walter C Willett,3 Katherine M Phillips,6 David R Jacobs, Jr,1,7and Rune Blomhoff. (PMC)

Phytochemical Indicaxanthin Inhibits The Risk of Intestinal Motility Disorders

By Kyle J. Norton

Intestinal motility disorders is a condition associated with abnormal intestinal contractions, such as spasms and intestinal paralysis.

In a healthy individual, intestinal muscles contract and relax in a coordinated, rhythmic fashion that propels food of each stage of digestion. However, patients with intestinal motility disorders, food pass on each stage are reduced or blocked due to abnormal intestinal muscle motility.

Most common symptoms of intestinal motility disorders are difficulty swallowing, GERD., gas, severe constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloating.

In other words, intestinal motility disorders cause a wide range of digestive symptoms.

Most common causes of intestinal motility disorders are associated with the problem of muscle that controls peristalsis or the nerves or hormones that control the muscle's contractions.

Certain diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroparesis, esophageal spasms, diabetes, and Hirschsprung's disease are also linked to the onset of intestinal motility disorders.

Dr. Deane AM, the lead scientists in the examination of conventional treatment of intestinal motility disorders, said, "Gastrointestinal dysmotility causes delayed gastric emptying, enteral feed intolerance, and functional obstruction of the small and large intestine, the latter functional obstructions being frequently termed ileus and Ogilvie syndrome".

And, "While the administration of either metoclopramide or erythromycin is supported by evidence it appears that dual-drug therapy (erythromycin and metoclopramide) reduces the rate of treatment failure...Several drugs, including ghrelin agonists, highly selective 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor agonists, and opiate antagonists are being studied in clinical trials. Neostigmine, when infused at a relatively slow rate in patients receiving continuous hemodynamic monitoring, may alleviate the need for endoscopic".

Indicaxanthin is phytochemicals in the class of red and yellow indole-derived pigments of Betacyanins, belongings to the group of Betalains found abundantly in beets, chard, etc.

According to the Università di Palermo, phytochemical Indicaxanthin may process the function that inhibits the risk of abnormal intestinal contractions associated with the ability gut to coordinate muscular activity.

Abnormal intestinal contractions in the gut have been found to induce inflammation and abdominal cramps.

More precisely, indicaxanthin induced inhibitory effects on the abnormally spontaneous mechanical activity of the gut-associated with an enzyme that cause muscle constriction.

Furthermore, the phosphodiesterases (PDEs) function that regulated contraction and relaxation of smooth musculature induced by the expression of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) was also modulated by the injection of indicaxanthin.

Moreover, administration of indicaxanthin and IBMX, a pan-specific inhibitor of phosphodiesterases also significantly reduced the carbachol-evoked contractions with no side effects.

And, both indicaxanthin and IBMX increased the inhibitory effects of forskolin associated with muscle relaxant effects with no adverse effects.

In other words, Phytochemical indicaxanthin increased both basal and forskolin involved in muscle relaxant activity in mouse ileal muscle by inhibiting the mechanisms associated with motility disorders.

Dr. Baldassano S, the lead scientist said, "indicaxanthin reduces the contractility of ileal longitudinal muscle by inhibition of PDEs and increase of cAMP concentration and raise the possibility of using indicaxanthin in the treatment of motility disorders, such as abdominal cramps".

Taken altogether, indicaxanthin may be considered a remedy for the prevention and treatment of motility disorders, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Sources
(1) Inhibitory effects of indicaxanthin on mouse ileal contractility: analysis of the mechanism of action by Baldassano S1, Rotondo A, Serio R, Livrea MA, Tesoriere L, Mulè F. (PubMed)
(2) Pathophysiology and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders in the Acutely Ill by Deane AM1, Chapman MJ2,3, Reintam Blaser A4,5, McClave SA6, Emmanuel A. (PubMed)

Tomato/Lycopene the Anti Cancers Functional Food

By Kyle J. Norton

Cancers are a class of diseases caused by irregular cell growth in the tissue or organ in the body.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, in 2017, over 200,000 new cases of cancer were diagnosed and 80,800 patients died from the disease in the same year.

Lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer were accounted for about half of all cancer diagnoses and deaths.
Believe it or not, 1 in 2 Canadian adults will develop cancer in their lifetimes and 1 in 4 will die of the disease.

At the early stage, patients with cancer may not experience any symptoms due to the very small size of the tumor and the cancer are still on the surface in the inner lining tissues. However, at the late stage after colonizing the complete organ, cancer cell not can travel a distance away from the originated site to affect other healthy tissue and organ, they can also cause some related and specific symptoms accompanied by general symptoms associated with other types of cancer.

Cancer is classified by the followings

* Size of the cancer

* Invasive or not

* Whether cancer has spread to the lymph nodes

* Whether cancer has spread to the distance parts or organs of the body.

There are 4 stages of breast cancer in TNM rating (where T is referred for tumor size, N is referred for Lymph Node status, M is referred for invasive or not)

Where
# T: Tumor Size is divided into four classes: T-1 is between 0 - 2 cms, T-2 is between 2 - 5 cms, T-3 is > 5cms, and T-4 is a tumor of any size growing into the chest wall or skin, including inflammatory breast cancer.
#N: No swollen nodes: N-0, some swelling but negative node (not cancerous): N-1a, swelling nodes and positive node (cancerous): N-1b, quite swollen and bunched together: N-2, quite swollen and near the collarbone: N-3.
# M: if no cancer cell is found: M-0, cancer cells found: M-1.

The stages of cancer are
* Stage 1T-1 tumor and clear lymph nodes with no evidence of spreading (M-0), or T-1N-0M-0.
* Stage 2
Stage 2 is the combination of a combination of T-1, T-2, or T-3 tumor, N-0. N-1a and N-1b but no spreading (M-0)
* Stage 3
Stage 3 is the combination of all T or N but no spreading (M-0)
* Stage 4
Stage 4 is the combination of T, N-1a, N-1b, N-2, N-3, and M-1

Tomato is red, edible fruit, genus Solanum, belonging to family Solanaceae, native to South America. Because of its health benefits, the tomato is grown worldwide for the commercial purpose
and often in the greenhouse.

In the urgency to find a potential ingredient for the treatment of cancer with little or no side effect, researchers examined the effect of a novel strategy of formulating the lycopene loaded whey protein isolate nanoparticles (LYC-WPI-NPs) ability for adenosine deaminase inhibition of the regression of the tumor with the percent lycopene entrapment in the range to 50 and 65%.

In the chemical release analysis, LYC-WPI-NPs enhanced the oral bioavailability of lycopene by controlling its release through the absorption in the lymphatic pathways.

According to the MTT based colorimetric assay, LYC-WPI-NPs exerted significant cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells in vitro.

In an animal model induced breast cancer, LYC-WPI-NPsd also demonstrated it's prophylactic anticancer efficacy without causing the death of normal cells.

Based on the findings, researchers wrote in the final paper, "Conclusively, it may quite reasonable that lycopene loaded protein nanoparticles are competent to improve the biopharmaceutical attributes of lycopene and demonstrated prophylactic anticancer activity, decrease tumor proliferation and increase the survival rate of treated animals".

In other words, LYC-WPI-NPs significantly enhanced the lycopene anti-cancer biopharmaceutic activity compared to oral administration as seen in an animal model.

Taken altogether, tomatoes may be considered supplements for the prevention and treatment of cancer, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of lycopene in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Sources
(1) Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Carotenoids and Lycopenes Chemistry; Metabolism, Absorption, Nutrition, and Allied Health Claims--A Comprehensive Review by Perveen R1, Suleria HA, Anjum FM, Butt MS, Pasha I, Ahmad S. (PubMed)
(2) Lycopene loaded whey protein isolate nanoparticles: An innovative endeavor for enhanced bioavailability of lycopene and anti-cancer activity by Jain A1, Sharma G2, Ghoshal G3, Kesharwani P4, Singh B5, Shivhare US4, Katare OP. (PubMed)

Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus), the Potential Anti-Gastric/Stomach Cancer Antioxidant

By Kyle J. Norton

Gastric or mouth cancer is a chronic and medical condition characterized by abnormal cells growing in the tissues of the stomach.

The stomach formed part of the digestive system and located between the esophagus and the small intestine, is a muscular, hollow of the digestive tract.

Most cases of gastric or mouth cancer start in the mucus-producing cells of the inside lining of the stomach due to the alternation of DNA. Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of gastric cancer.

At the early stage, due to the small size of the tumor, most patients with gastric cancer are asymptomatic.

However, as cancer continues to grow, it may induce general symptoms shared by all cancer and specific symptoms such as mild ache in the upper part of the body, difficulty of swallowing, feeling full or bloated after a small meal, vomiting blood or having blood in the stool.

At this stage, gastric cancer also induces secondary metastasis, by infecting other healthy tissues and organ far away from the original site.

Out of many risk factor associated with the onset of gastric cancer including diet, long-term inflammation of the stomach, smoking, and obesity, some researchers suggested low levels gastric acid production by the stomach may have a strong implication in facilitating the onset of the condition.

Dr. Helge L. Waldum, the lead scientist in the analysis of the correlation between

Helicobacter pylori and gastric acid, wrote, "Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is the main cause of gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer. There are still unanswered questions related to the interaction between Hp and man, like what determines the susceptibility for the initial infection and the mechanisms for the carcinogenic effect".

And, "The initial infection seems to require a temporal gastric hypoacidity. For Hp to survive in the gastric mucous layer, some acidity is necessary. Hp itself is probably not directly carcinogenic. Only when inducing oxyntic mucosal inflammation and atrophy with hypoacidity, Hp predisposes for gastric cancer. Gastrin most likely plays a central role in the Hp pathogenesis of duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer".

The cucumber plant is a species of Cucumis Sativus, belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae and native to Western Asia. It is also a creeping vine with roots in the ground and grows up with the support of frames.

With an aim to find a potential compound for the treatment of gastric cancer, researchers examined the effect of Ecballium elaterium (L.) A. Rich (Cucurbitaceae) (squirting cucumber) on cell lines of gastric and esophageal origin namely called AGS (human gastric carcinoma) and KYSE30 (human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma).

The study included AGS and KYSE30 cancer cell lines incubated for 24, 48, and 72 h with an aqueous extract of the fruits of E. elaterium prepared and freeze-dried.

In AGS, at the IC(50) values of 2.5, 0.7, and 0.7 μg/ml, the aqueous extract for cell line after 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively showed significant induction of cell apoptosis.

Similarly, KYSE30 cell line induced apoptosis was found at IC(50) values for KYSE30 cell line in doses of 500, 150, and 125 μg/ml after 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively.

Furthermore, the injection of the extract also showed a significant increase in cell density at the G2/M phase, according to cell cycle analysis.

Moreover, the efficacy of the extract against gastric cancer cell lines was attributed to several compounds in the induction of cytotoxicity.

Based on the findings, researchers said, "The results of the current study showed that the freeze-dried aqueous extract of E. elaterium fruit has a cytotoxic effect on gastric and esophageal cancer cell lines by means of apoptosis".

In order to reveal more information of cucumber anti-gastric cancer activity, researchers investigated the effects of Cucurbitacin B (CuB), a natural compound found in Cucurbitaceae in cisplatin (DDP)-resistant human GC cell line SGC7901/DDP.

According to the tested assays, CuB treatment significantly suppressed SGC7901/DDP cell proliferation, induced caspase-dependent apoptosis, and autophagy.

Interestingly, the activation of autophagy was mediated through CuB- inhibition of the protein (TORC1) involved the regulation of cancer cell growth and survival.

In order to reveal more information of CuB anti-gastric cancer potency, scientists examined the CuB activity as a cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A), a human oncoprotein that is overexpressed in multiple kinds of tumors including gastric cancer (GC).

In cisplatin (DDP)-resistant human GC cell line SGC7901/DDP, CuB treatment exerted a similar effect as of that of the aforementioned study in the inhibition of SGC7901/DDP cell proliferation, induced caspase-dependent apoptosis, and autophagy.

Moreover, CuB inhibited mTORC1 as showed in the previous study via the inhibition of CIP2A which activates the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in the induction of cancer cell proliferation.

Based on the results, researchers said, "CuB can inhibit the proliferation, induce caspase-dependent apoptosis, and autophagy of SGC7901/DDP cells by suppressing CIP2A/PP2A/mTORC1 signaling axis".

Taken altogether, cucumber processed a high amount of Cucurbitacin B (CuB) as the main ingredient may be considered supplements for the prevention and treatment of gastric cancer, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of Cucurbitacin B (CuB) in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Sources
(1) Cytotoxic effect of freeze-dried extract of Ecballium elaterium fruit on gastricadenocarcinoma (AGS) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (KYSE30) cell lines by Bohlooli S1, Jafari N, Jahed S. (PubMed)
(2) Cucurbitacin B induces autophagy and apoptosis by suppressing CIP2A/PP2A/mTORC1 signaling axis in human cisplatin resistant gastric cancercells by Liu X1, Duan C1, Ji J1, Zhang T1, Yuan X1, Zhang Y1, Ma W1, Yang J2, Yang L2, Jiang Z2, Yu H2, Liu Y1. (PubMed)
(3) Helicobacter pylori and gastric acid: an intimate and reciprocal relationship by Helge L. Waldum, Per M. Kleveland, and Øystein F. Sørdal. (PMC)

Friday 30 August 2019

Herbal Turmeric Eradicate the progression of Prostate Cancer in Vitro and Vivo

By Kyle J. Norton

Cancer is a class of medical condition associated with cell growth irregularly due to the alternation of cell DNA with unknown causes.

Most cases of primary cancer start in the cell on the surface of the inner lining, before growing in size to invade other nearby healthy tissue and organ by spreading via lymph or blood.

The prostate formed part of the male reproductive organ, warped around the urethra, is a gland found in front of the rectum and just below the bladder that is responsible for making some of the semen to carry sperm.

Prostate cancer is a chronic condition caused by abnormal cell growth in the prostate tissue. Most prostate cancers are slow-growing and enlarged prostate and prostate cancer may be detected during the Physical (rectum) exams.

According to the statistics provided by the Cancer Net, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, besides skin cancer.

In 2019, approximately 174,650 men in the US will be diagnosed with prostate cancer with over 60% of cases in men over 65.

The average age of diagnosis is 66. The disease rarely occurs before age 40. The 5-year survival rate for most men with local or regional prostate cancer is nearly 100%.

Prostate cancer can be diagnosed by

*Digital Rectal Examination (DRE)

Digital rectal examination is included in a physical exam. In DRE, your doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to feel the surface of the prostate gland to check for any abnormality of the prostate.

* Transrectal Ultrasound (TRUS)
Ultrasound allows your doctor to visualize and assess the size of your prostate and check for any abnormality and surrounding area with an image taken from the test.

* Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test
The test is to measure the levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein produced by the prostate. The high levels of PSA may be an indication of higher risk of prostate cancer.

* Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP) test
Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) is a test to measure the level of prostatic acid phosphatase, an enzyme produced by the prostate. The higher the levels of PAP is an indication of the disease progression.

* Prostate biopsy

In a prostate biopsy, samples of the prostate tissue are taken by a thin, tube-like instrument to examine under microscopy to review the stage of cancer.

Turmeric is a perennial plant in the genus Curcuma, belonging to the family Zingiberaceae, native to tropical South Asia.

The herb has been used in traditional medicine as anti-oxidant, hypoglycemic, colorant, antiseptic, wound healing agent, and for the treatment of flatulence, bloating, and appetite loss, ulcers, eczema, inflammations, etc.

On finding a potential ingredient for the treatment of cancer, researchers examined the anticancer action of curcumin in hormone-independent prostate cancer cells (DU145, and PC-3).

Based on the tested differentiation, curcumin was more effective in the inhibition of PC-3 cells compared to that of DU145 cells.

In other words, curcumin induced cancer cells apoptosis, depending on the maspin expression associated with the inhibition of tumor progression.

More precisely, curcumin administration inhibited the maspin-knockdown cells involved in expression levels of pro-apoptotic proteins compared with control cells.

In other words, curcumin treatment promoted the expression of maspin that enhances the phytochemical sensitivity to prostate cancer cells.

Moreover, in a mouse prostate cancer xenograft model, curcumin treatment inhibited the growth of prostate cancer in vivo as well as promoting apoptosis of LNCaP cells in vitro.

The efficacy of curcumin on LNCaP cells.was attributed to the inhibition of the JNK pathway associated with cancer development and progression and regulation of gene (H3K4me3) expression.

Dr. Zhao W, the lead scientist wrote, "curcumin inhibits JNK pathway and plays a role in epigenetic regulation of prostate cancer cells by repressing H3K4me3".

Taken altogether, turmeric processed abundantly bioactive compound curcumin may be considered supplements for the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of turmeric in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

How To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters
Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

Back to Kyle J. Norton Homepage http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca

Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Curcumin suppressed the prostate cancer by inhibiting JNK pathways via epigenetic regulation by Zhao W1, Zhou X1, Qi G1, Guo Y2. (PubMed)
(2) Maspin Enhances the Anticancer Activity of Curcumin in Hormone-refractory Prostate Cancer Cells by Cheng WL1, Huang CY2,3, Tai CJ4,5, Chang YJ6,2,7,8, Hung CS. (PubMed)

Lycopene Protects the Heart Failure Against the Risk of Cardio Events

By Kyle J. Norton

The heart is a four-chambered, hollow muscle and double acting pump located in the chest between the lungs is a muscular organ in the human body.

The heart formed an important part of the circulatory system that pumps blood through the blood vessels to nourish the body and assist in the removal of metabolic wastes.

According to the statistic provided by the American Heart Foundation, on average, an American dies of CVD every 38 seconds. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounted for 840,678 deaths in the US in 2016 and the condition also claim more lives each year than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined

In 2016, cardiovascular diseases cause the death of 2,303 deaths each day, in the US.

Heart failure (HF) is a medical condition associated with the reduced function of the heart muscle that can not maintain blood flow to meet the body's needs, leading to symptoms of

* Shortness of breath and excessive tiredness are caused by the congestion in your lungs in the process of inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide.

And

* Leg swelling is a condition caused by fluid to back up in your lungs and in other parts of your body such as your ankles.

Believe it or not, approximately 600, 000 Canadian are living with heart failure or 16% of the entire population.

Conventionally, there is no cure of heart failure, most common treatment is focusing on lifestyle changes and managing the condition with an aim to improve quality of life.

Lycopene is a phytochemical in the class of carotenoid, a natural pigment with no vitamin A activity found abundantly in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables, such as red carrots, watermelons, and papayas,

Tomatoes provide about 80% of the lycopene in the world diet. In plants, lycopene protects the host against excessive photodamage and perform various functions in photosynthesis.

On finding a potential compound for the prevention of heart failure HF, researchers examined the dietary intervention in patients with HF on lycopene on biomarkers of inflammation.

A total of 40 patients with HF were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: lycopene intervention and usual care that received 29.4 mg of lycopene intake per day by drinking an 11.5 oz serving of V8 100% vegetable juice for 30 days.

According to the tested analysis, plasma lycopene levels increased in the intervention group compared with the usual care group.

Furthermore, C-reactive protein levels associated with the sign of inflammation and a potential risk factor for heart disease decreased significantly in the intervention group in women of 5.9 ± 3.7 mg/dL and but not in men 2.2 ± 2.1 mg/dL compared to postintervention of 4.5 ± 3.6 mg/dL and 2.4 ± 2.1 mg/dL, respectively.

In other words, lycopene significant reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease of heart failure patients by decreasing the levels of CRP in women.

Moreover, according to the results of a prospective study of 212 patients with HF intervented by dietary intake of lycopene and sodium of 4-day food diaries, higher lycopene intake was associated with longer cardiac event-free survival compared with lower lycopene intake.

More precisely, increased lycopene intake has the potential to improve cardiac event-free survival in patients with HF.

Taken altogether, lycopene found in tomato may be considered supplements for the improvement of cardio events, pending on the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of lycopene in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

How To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters
Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

Back to Kyle J. Norton Homepage http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca

Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Lycopene dietary intervention: a pilot study in patients with heart failure by Biddle MJ1, Lennie TA, Bricker GV, Kopec RE, Schwartz SJ, Moser DK. (PubMed)
(2) Higher dietary lycopene intake is associated with longer cardiac event-free survival in patients with heart failure by Biddle M1, Moser D, Song EK, Heo S, Payne-Emerson H, Dunbar SB, Pressler S, Lennie T. (PubMed)

Whole Food Onion, the Best Anticancer Functional Food

By Kyle J. Norton

Cancer is a group of a medical condition caused by irregular cell growth in the tissues organs due to the alternation of cell DNA.

Most cases of cancer start in the cells on the surface of the inner lining of the infected tissue or argan before penetrating into the deeper layers to form a tumor.

Certain factors have been found to affect prognosis including
* The type of cancer and where it is in your body

*The stage of cancer, most often refers to the size and metastasis of cancer.

** Stage 0
Cancer is classified as Stage 0 if the cancerous cell has not penetrated in deeper tissue but on the surface of the inner lining.
** Stage I
In stage I, The cancerous cells are no longer in the surface but have invaded into deep lung lining, but still completely inside the lung.
***Stage IA1
The cancer is ≤ 3 mm (1/8 inch) deep and ≤ 7 mm (1/4 inch) wide.
**** Stage IA1: The spreading is < 3mm(1/8 inch) deep and & less than 7mm (1/4 inch) wide.
**** Stage IA2: The invasion area is ≥ 3 mm but ≤ 5 mm (about 1/5 inch) deep and & less than 7 mm (about 1/4 inch) wide.
***. Stage IB: cancer in this stage have invaded the connective tissue, & less than 5mm (1/5 inch).
**** Stage IB1: Cancer is 4 cm large (1 3/4 inches).
**** Stage IB2: Cancer is ≥ 4 cm (1 3/4 inches) but & less than 5cm (1/5 inch)

**Stage II
In stage II, the cancerous cells have spread to distant tissues but are still within the organ.

**Stage III
this stage, cancerous cells have spread to the tissues immediately surrounding the organ.

**Stage IV
In the stage, IV is the most advanced stage of cancer as cancerous cells have spread to the distant parts of the body

In this stage, cancerous cells have spread to the tissues immediately surrounding the organ.

* Cancer’s grade, low-grade cancers usually grow more slowly and are less likely to spread while high-grade cancer indicates otherwise.

* Certain traits of cancer cells include
** How cancer cell stimulates their own growth

** How cancer cells resist inhibitory signals that stop their growth

** How cancer cells inhibit programmed cell death signaling.

Some researchers also include the age, health of patients and how patients responded to previous cancer treatment

The onion is a plant in the genus Allium, belonging to the family Alliaceae, a close relation of garlic. It is often called the "king of vegetables" because of its pungent taste and found in a large number of recipes and preparations spanning almost the totality of the world's cultures.

Depending on the variety, an onion can be sharp, spicy, tangy, pungent, mild or sweet.

With an aim to find a potential compound for the treatment of cancer, researchers examined the effect of garlic and onion on certain types of cancer.

Intake of onion is found inversely associated with the risk of onions or garlic and cancers of the oral cavity/pharynx, larynx, renal cells, breast, ovary, and endometrium.

More precisely, people who eat onions ≥7 times/week have the OR of oral cavity/pharyngeal cancers of 0.16, laryngeal cancer of 0.17, and ovarian cancer of 0.27 compared to those who did not eat onions.

Furthermore, according to the study of cases from the Hawaii Tumor Registry and controls randomly selected from a list of Oahu residents, intake of onion was associated with decreased risk of lung cancer with the OR = 0.5 in the highest quartile of intake compared to the lowest.

In prostate cancer, the Italian study suggested that both onions and garlic did not have significantly decreased OR of prostate cancer compared to those with the lowest intake, However, increasing intake showed a trend of decreasing the ORs.

In esophageal cancer, intake of raw garlic/onion at least one time per week has the adjusted OR of esophageal cancer of 0.2.

In colorectal cancer, the Italian and Swiss case-control studies found that both onions show a protective effect against colon cancer regardless of the amount of intake onion intake compared to non-consumers of onion.

In stomach cancer, according to the meta-analysis, consumption of large amounts of total Allium vegetables, such as garlic and onion reduced risk of gastric cancer by comparing the highest and lowest consumption groups.

Taken altogether, onion may be considered a remedy for the prevention of cancer, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Sources
(1) Garlic and onions: Their cancer prevention properties by Holly L. Nicastro,1 Sharon A. Ross,2 and John A. Milner. (PubMed)
(2) Understanding Cancer Prognosis (NIH)

Bromelain, the Natural Prevention and Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

By Kyle J. Norton

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a digestive condition characterized by an inflammation of the large intestine. The disease affects over 1.6 million American today.

Most common types of IBD are

*Crohn’s disease (CD) is an inflammation of any part of the digestive tract. Most cases of CD affect the tail end of the small intestine.

* Ulcerative colitis is an inflammation of the large intestine.

The exact causes of inflammatory bowel disease are unknown. However, some researchers do know that
* The disease may be caused by the weakened immune system that fails to kill off the invasion of infectious micro-organisms in the acute phase of digestive infection caused by tissue injury and damage.

* IBD may be a result of the immune dysfunction mistakenly attacking the digestive tract, a case of autoimmune disease.

* Imbalance of ratio of good and bad bacteria in the colon, caused by long-term intake of certain medicines.

* IBD is also associated with age, family history, ethnicity, parasite, and smoking.

* Genetic mutation of NOD2, ATG16L1and IL23R involved in innate immunity, in the autophagy, and in the inflammatory response may also elevate the risk of IBD.

Believe it or not, if you are living in the Western world, you are also at a higher risk of the disease. For example, people who live in Western countries such as the United States and Europe have a higher IBD risk than those in other parts of the world.

Some researchers suggested an individual diet pattern may influence the risk of IBD.

Dr. Donjete Statovci, the lead scientists wrote, "Westernized diet, defined as high dietary intake of saturated fats and sucrose and low intake of fiber, represent a growing health risk contributing to the increased occurrence of metabolic diseases, e.g., diabetes and obesity in countries adopting a westernized lifestyle. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and asthma are chronic mucosal inflammatory conditions of unknown etiology with increasing prevalence worldwide".

And, "Recent reports indicate that the gut microbiota and modifications thereof, due to the consumption of a diet high in saturated fats and low in fibers, can trigger factors regulating the development and/or progression of both conditions".

In other words, by pursuing a healthy diet with a higher in fruits and vegetable and reducing intake of red meat, saturate and trans fat and processed foods, IBD is preventable.

Bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme found in pineapples (Ananas comosus) has been used in traditional medicine as an inflammatory agent and to treat pains, strains, and muscle aches and pains and ease back pain and chronic joint pain, skin diseases, etc.

In an aim to find the potential compound for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, researchers examined the efficacy of bromelain in colitis in an animal study.

According to the tested assays, daily treatment with oral bromelain at the age for 5 weeks showed a significant effect on decreasing the incidence and severity of spontaneous colitis in C57BL/6 IL-10-/- mice.

Furthermore, bromelain also significantly decreased the severity of colonic inflammation by inhibiting the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine in mice colitis induced by piroxicam exposure.

Moreover, bromelain anti-inflammatory effects were associated with the exertion of proteolytical activity.

In wild-type mice treated orally with up to 1000 mg bromelain/kg/day for 18 weeks, researchers do not observe ant adverse effects such as dermatitis, hair loss, and weight loss due to mucositis.

Based on the findings, researchers wrote, " the results justify additional studies of this complementary biologically based approach to the treatment of IBD".

Also in the animal model, short-term oral treatment with bromelain was found to decrease the severity of colonic inflammation in C57BL/6 Il10(-/-) mice with chronic colitis.

Mice treated with fresh pineapple juice at a level equivalent to 14 mg bromelain purified from the stem decreased histologic colon inflammation scores and a lower incidence of inflammation-associated colonic neoplasia (35% versus 66%; P < 0.02), with fewer neoplastic lesions/colon.

According to the flow cytometric analysis, murine splenocytes exposed to fresh pineapple juice in vitro affect leukocyte trafficking and activation in facilitating the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines associated with immune response.

Dr. Hale LP, the lead scientist after taking into account co and confounders wrote, " long-term dietary supplementation with fresh or unpasteurized frozen pineapple juice with proteolytically active bromelain enzymes is safe and decreases inflammation severity and the incidence and multiplicity of inflammation-associated colonic neoplasia in this commonly used murine model of inflammatory bowel disease".

Taken altogether, bromelain may be considered a remedy for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of bromelain in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Sources
(1) Treatment with oral bromelain decreases colonic inflammation in the IL-10-deficient murine model of inflammatory bowel disease by Hale LP1, Greer PK, Trinh CT, Gottfried MR. (PubMed)
(2) Dietary supplementation with fresh pineapple juice decreases inflammation and colonic neoplasia in IL-10-deficient mice with colitis by Hale LP1, Chichlowski M, Trinh CT, Greer PK. (PubMed)
(3) The Impact of Western Diet and Nutrients on the Microbiota and Immune Response at Mucosal Interfaces by Donjete Statovci,1 Mònica Aguilera,1 John MacSharry,1,2 and Silvia Melgar. (PMC)

Thursday 29 August 2019

Bioactive Compound Sulforaphane (SFN) Isolated from Collard Greens, Processes Anti-Neuropathic Pain in Vivo

By Kyle J. Norton

Neurological disorders are a class of diseases of the nervous system characterized by the structural damage, biochemical or electrical abnormalities in the brain, spinal cord or nerves.

Neurodegenerative disease is a type of neurological disorder associated with the progressive loss of neuron in the brain caused by several mechanisms, including toxicity and oxygen deficiency.

Neuropathic pain is a type of pain that affects the somatosensory nervous system due to damage or disease. Abnormal sensations called dysesthesia or pain from normally non-painful stimuli (allodynia) are some of the most common forms of neuropathic pain found in patients.

There are no obvious causes of neuropathic pain. However, medical condition such as alcoholism, amputation, diabetes, nerve problems, HIV infection or AIDS, multiple myeloma, multiple sclerosis and shingles, and chemotherapy are some prevalent factors of neuropathic pain.

According to the joint study conducted led by the Health Outcomes Practice, there are no published data on the broad prevalence of neuropathic pain (NeP) in the US. However, the 15,751 respondents reported pain (63.7%), of 2,548 data suggested that 10% American may suffer from neuropathic pain (NeP). The rate of NeP in Blacks and Hispanics ethnicity was consistently higher compared to White

Most common treatments of NeP are the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (44.2%), followed by weak opioids (31.7%), antiepileptics (10.9%), and strong opioids (10.9%).

Most common therapies used for neuropathic pain treatment are physical therapy, relaxation therapy, massage therapy, psychological therapy, and acupuncture accompanied by pain counseling.

Furthermore, in neuropathic pain caused by medical conditions such as diabetes, treatment may emphasize on the management of the condition and improvement of quality of life by preventing further nerve damage.

In some cases, an invasive or implantable device may be used to manage the pain.

Collard Green is a species of Brassica Oleracea, belongings to the family Brassicaceae with unknown origin. Today, the plant is cultivated commercially for its thick, slightly bitter edible leaves.

With an aim to find a potential compound for the treatment of neuropathic pain, researchers investigated sulforaphane (SFN), a derivative of glucoraphanin present in cruciferous vegetables on inflammation-related diseases.

According to the tested analysis, SFN showed an anti-nociceptive effect in a neuropathic pain mouse model, sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury (CCI).

Furthermore, SFN injected intraperitoneally for 7 days inhibited the when pain behaviors, including mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in CCI mice.

Moreover, SFN at a dose-dependently also attenuated CCI-induced pain behavioral hypersensitivity, by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 that cause d neuropathic pain in mice and exhibiting the production of an anti-inflammatory cytokine such as IL-10 associated with pain relief.

More importantly, CCI enhancement of COX2 and iNOS in the induction of nerves injury were also counteracted by the administration of SFN.

Additionally, SFN treatment also increased the CCI-induced increase in µ-opioid receptors that are responsible for the analgesics, in injured sciatic nerves.

Based on the results, researchers said, "SFN has both anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory actions"

Taken altogether, collard green processed a high amount of SFN may be considered supplements for the prevention and treatment of neuropathic pain, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of turmeric in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

How To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters
Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

Back to Kyle J. Norton Homepage http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca

Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory actions of sulforaphane in chronic constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain mice by Wang C1, Wang C. (PubMed)
(2) The prevalence of probable neuropathic pain in the US: results from a multimodal general-population health survey by Marco D DiBonaventura,1 Alesia Sadosky,2 Kristen Concialdi,1 Markay Hopps,2 Ian Kudel,1Bruce Parsons,2 Joseph C Cappelleri,3 Patrick Hlavacek,2 Andrea H Alexander,2Brett R Stacey,4 John D Markman,5 and John T Farrar. (PMC)

Phytochemical Betacyanins Inhibits Fat Accumulation in Obesity

By Kyle J. Norton

Obesity is a medical condition characterized by excessive body fat accumulated over time. Overweight is a condition of excess body weight relative to height.

According to the Body Mass Index(BMI), a BMI between 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, while a BMI of over 30 is an indication of obesity. According to the statistic, 68% of the American population is either overweight or obese.

Believe it or not, according to the statistic provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 40 percent of adults (or 93.3 million people) are obese.

The formula of the BMI indexBMI= weight (kg)/ height (m2)

The causes of obesity are easily understood. If you regularly eat and drink more calories than your needs accompanied by physical inactivity, a lack of sleep, over time you are ar an increased risk of overweight or obese.

Please note that certain medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome, Cushing's syndrome,..., genetic preposition and the use of certain medications that can cause weight gain or water retention, such as corticosteroids, antidepressants or some seizure medications, also increases the risk of overweight and obesity.

Epidemiologically, obese people are associated with an increased risk of diseases and health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Some researchers suggested that by dietary changes, increased physical activity and behavior changes have been found to enhance weight loss in obesity.

Conventionally, in extremely obese subjects, prescription medications and weight-loss surgery may be the only options.

Betacyanins are phytochemicals in the class of red and yellow indole-derived pigments, belonging to the group of Betalains, found abundantly in beets, chard, etc.

On finding a potential compound for the prevention of fat accumulation, researchers examined the effects of food that inhibits the development of obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic diseases.

The study included betacyanins isolated from Hylocereus undatus (white-fleshed pitaya) peel applied to high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obese mice and compared to a low-fat diet or HFD supplemented with PPBNs for 14 weeks.

According to the tested assays, all betacyanins found in white-fleshed pitaya peel (PPBNs) reduced HFD-induced parameters associated with the obesity including body weight gain, adipose tissue hypertrophy, hepatosteatosis, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance.

Furthermore, dietary PPBNs also increased the expression levels of lipid-metabolism-related genes and decreased genes associated with glucose and lipid homeostasis.

In other words, dietary PPBNs not only protected against fat accumulation but also decreased the risk of complications of obese subjects.

Based on the finding, researchers wrote, "the protective effect of PPBNs might be associated with the induced fatty acid oxidation, decreased fatty acid biosynthesis, and alleviated FGF21 resistance".

Taken altogether, betacyanins may be considered a remedy for the prevention of obesity, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of betacyanins in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Sources
Obesity
(1) Red pitaya betacyanins protects from diet-induced obesity, liver steatosis and insulin resistance in association with modulation of gut microbiota in mice by Song H1,2, Chu Q1, Yan F1, Yang Y1, Han W1, Zheng X. (PubMed)
(2) Purified Betacyanins from Hylocereus undatus Peel Ameliorate Obesity and Insulin Resistance in High-Fat-Diet-Fed Mice by Song H1, Chu Q1, Xu D1, Xu Y1, Zheng X. (PubMed)

Tomatoes Kill Bacterial Staphylococcus Aureus Against the Onset of Pneumonia

By Kyle J. Norton

Pneumonia is a medical condition associated with the infection of the lung. In adults, the most common causes of pneumonia are a bacterial infection such as Staphylococcus aureus.

Viruses or fungi also have been found to induce the onset of the disease.

Most common symptoms of pneumonia are persistent coughing with phlegm (mucus) fever, sweating, chills and chest pain. However, depending on the types of pathogens that cause the infection.

In severe cases, pneumonia is life-threatening. Some patients at this stage also experience persistently shortness of breath due to severe inflammation in the air sacs of the lungs.

According to epidemiological studies, most cases of pneumonia are acquired from either hospitals and community caused by people who have the disease.

Some researchers suggested people who have a weakened such as elderly or immature immune system such as baby and underage children are more prone to the disease.

Dr. Sanjay Sethi at the University at Buffalo SUNY wrote, "Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. Pneumonia in people whose immune system is weakened or impaired (for example, by AIDS, cancer, organ transplantation, or the use of certain drugs) is often caused by different organisms than those that cause pneumonia in healthy people".

In other words, people who are treated by chemotherapy drugs due to cancer or immune suppressants, and disease associated with immunity are susceptible to pneumonia developing.

Most cases of pneumonia are treated with antibiotics. Depending on the condition, treatment may include medicine for reduced coughing, pain and fever with an aim to improve patients' quality of life.

If you are taking certain types of antibiotics for the treatment of pneumonia, please make sure you know all the side effects for preventive measure.

In Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia model, naringenin protected the lung cells integrity and viability by inhibiting the production of α-toxin.

Where α-toxin is an essential virulence factor found in patients with Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia.

Furthermore, at the 16 μg/ml of naringenin, treatment organisms showed reduced expression of α-toxin significantly compared to the untreated group.

Moreover, in vivo, a mouse model of S. aureus pneumonia treated with naringenin demonstrated a significant effect in attenuating symptoms of lung injury and inflammation against infection.

In other words, naringenin acted as a natural antibiotic in preventing the overexpression of α-toxin produced by Staphylococcus aureus through its antibacterial activity.

Based on the findings, Dr. Zhang Y, the lead scientist after taking into account co and confounders wrote in the final report, "These results suggest that naringenin is a promising agent for the treatment of S. aureus infection".

Taken altogether, tomatoes may be considered supplements for the prevention and treatment of Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of naringenin in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Sources
(1) Inhibition of α-toxin production by subinhibitory concentrations of naringenin controls Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia by Zhang Y1, Wang JF, Dong J, Wei JY, Wang YN, Dai XH, Wang X, Luo MJ, Tan W, Deng XM, Niu XD. (PubMed)
(2) Pneumonia in Immunocompromised People By Sanjay Sethi , MD, University at Buffalo SUNY. (MSD Manual)

Cucumber's Bioactive Compound Cucurbitacin B (CuB) Exerts Anti-Hyperglycemic Effect in Diabetics

By Kyle J. Norton

Hypoglycemia is abnormally high blood glucose levels in the bloodstream in diabetes.

Most cases of hyperglycemia are associated with poor management of blood sugar levels as a result of poor diet and poor practice of medicine intake and insulin injection.

Hyperglycemia is a hallmark of diabetes caused by the inability of the body to convert glucose to energy or make the hormone insulin.

Most common and early signs of hyperglycemia are increased thirst and/or hunger, frequent urination, sugar in your urine, fatigue.

In severe cases, patients with hyperglycemia may also experience symptoms of headache and blurred vision.

Long-term untreated hyperglycemia may induce complications that affect the eyes, kidneys, ner, es and heart.

In severe case, hyperglycemia can also lead to serious complications that require emergency care, such as a diabetic coma.

Women who are nondiabetics before pregnancy and experience gestation hyperglycemia are likely to develop diabetes in the later days.

Believe it or not, hyperglycemia can also occur in people without diabetes due to stress. According to the study, people who are nondiabetics and experience abnormally high blood glucose are most likely to develop diabetes later in life.

According to the statistics, In 2015, approximately 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4% of the population, had diabetes. Approximately 1.25 million American children and adults have type 1 diabetes.

Some researchers suggested that by changing lifestyle with moderate exercise, hyperglycemia can be manageable in type II diabetes.

Dr. Salwa W. Rizkalla wrote, " Only 4 weeks of a (low GI diet) LGI diet was able to improve glycemic control, glucose utilization, some lipid profiles, and the capacity for fibrinolysis in type 2 diabetes. Even if changes in glycemic control were modest during the 4-week period, the use of an LGI diet in a longer-term manner might play an important role in the treatment and prevention of diabetes and related disorders"

The cucumber plant is a species of Cucumis Sativus, belongings to the family Cucurbitaceae and native to Western Asia. It is a creeping vine with roots in the ground and grows up with the support of frames.

With an aim to find a natural ingredient for the prevention of hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes, researchers examined the effect of Cucurbitacin B (CuB) isolated from cucumber induced hypoglycemic effect in an animal model.

On mice, induced diabetes, administration of Cucurbitacin B (CuB) composed of triterpenoid structure stimulated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway which has been found to contribute to the correction of insulin resistance overexpression in hyperglycemia.

CuB also ameliorated hyperglycemia not only by activating intestinal AMPK levels and also by inducing production of plasma GLP-1 associated with the improvement of insulin-releasing by pancreatic β-cells.

However, GLP-1 mimetic medicines although exerted a similar effect compared to that of natural GLP-1, it induced clinical side effects, such as autoimmune hepatitis, acute kidney injury, pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer.

Interestingly, the efficacy of hypoglycemic activity of CuB decreased significantly in dorsomorphin- (a selective inhibitor of the BMP pathway involved in the expression of cytokines) injected mice and α-gustducin null mice.

In differentiated NCI-H716 cell line, CuB inhibited hyperglycemia involved in activation of AMPK through α-gustducin and Gβγ-signaling of taste receptors in signaling secretion of incretin hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).

Where taste receptors are found in several organs including tongue to colon and have the diverse functions dependent on specific cell type.

In enteroendocrine L cells, stimulated taste receptor signaling plays a critical role in inducing incretin hormones, including GLP-1.

Based on the findings, researchers said, "CuB represents novel hypoglycemic agents by activation of AMPK and stimulation of GLP-1 in differentiated enteroendocrine L-cells".

Taken altogether, cucumber processed high levels of CuB may be used for the treatment of hyperglycemia in diabetics, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of CuB in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

Sources
(1) Cucurbitacin B Induces Hypoglycemic Effect in Diabetic Mice by Regulation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Alpha and Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 via Bitter Taste Receptor Signaling by Kim KH1,2, Lee IS1,2, Park JY1,2, Kim Y1,2, An EJ1,2, Jang HJ. (PubMed)
(2) Improved Plasma Glucose Control, Whole-Body Glucose Utilization, and Lipid Profile on a Low-Glycemic Index Diet in Type 2 Diabetic Men by

Salwa W. Rizkalla, MD, PHD1 2,

Laika Taghrid, MD1,

Muriel Laromiguiere, PharmD, PHD3,

Dorothée Huet, MD1,

Josette Boillot, PHD1,

Aude Rigoir, RN1,

Fabienne Elgrably, MD1 and

Gerard Slama, MD. (the American Diabetes Association)