Withania somnifera: Phytochemistry

Posted on December 2, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Withania somnifera is a plant that is also called ashwagandha. This herb is used in traditional medicine to treat a number of health complaints, and the health benefits it confers is as a direct result of the phytochemicals it contains. Studies have assessed the phytochemistry of withania, and in particular have studied the roots of the plant that are used medicinally. These studies reveal the presence of around 35 chemical constituents that may be responsible in whole or in part for the various health effects of the plant. It is thought that the main active constituent in the plant’s roots are a group of alkaloids including isopellertierine, anahygrine, cuscohygrine, pseudotropine, somniferinine, somniferiene, tropanol, withanine, withananine and anferine; steroidal lactones including withanolides and withaferins; saponins with an acyl functional group including sitoindoside VII and VIII; as well as withanolide glucosides including sitonidoside XI and X. The steroidal structure of withanolides is similar to the main active constituents in Panax ginseng, the latter containing steroidal molecules called ginsenosides. The main withanolides present in withania include withaferin A and withanolide D. Withanolides are likely adaptogenic compounds and may reduce the effects of stress hormones in humans and animals. Withania is also high in iron, and this may provide some of the anti-fatigue effects of the herb. 

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Singh, G., Sharma, P. K., Dudhe, R. and Singh, S. 2010. Biological activities of Withania somnifera. Annals of Biological Research. 1(3): 56-63

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Walnuts: Fat content

Posted on November 28, 2024 by Robert Barrington

walnuts (Juglans regia) are an important food crop as they are a concentrated source of essential and non-essential nutrients. Walnuts are true tree nuts as they are the seed of the tree upon which they grow, and they are surrounded by a hard shell. Walnuts are about 65 % fat by weight but this fat is largely unsaturated and contains the essential fatty acids alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, C18:3 (n-3)) and linoleic acid (LA, C18:2 (n-6)) as well as oleic acid. Walnuts contain significant amounts of the ALA, which makes up about 8 to 14 % of the fat content. Walnuts are not associated with weight gain despite the high fat content, adding evidence to the fact that high fat foods are not the cause of weight gain. Other lipids in walnuts include free fatty acids, diacylglycerols, monoacylglycerols, sterols, sterol esters and phosphatides, but these are not present in high quantities. Walnuts contain fat soluble antioxidants such as vitamin E, which protect the delicate unsaturated oils from lipid peroxidation. 

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Fatima, T., Showkat, U. and Hussain, S. Z. 2018. Nutritional and health benefits of walnuts. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 7(2): 1269-1271

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Pistachios

Posted on November 28, 2024 by Robert Barrington

The pistachio (Pistacia vera) is a nutrient dense food that has been evidenced to have a number of health benefits. The pistachio tree is part of the Anacardiaceae family of trees. The pistachio is not a true tree nut because it is a member of the cashew family of plants, and cashews are not true nuts. Both cashews and pistachios are drupes, in that the trees they grow on produce a fruit and the food we buy as cashews and pistachios are the seeds of these fruits. The fruit is discarded in the manufacturing process, and the seed is often roasted. True nuts have been shown to possess lipid lowering abilities, and this may relate to the nutrients they contain including fibre, polyphenols, minerals, vitamins and fatty acids. As pistachios have similar nutrient profiles compared to tree nuts, it should not be surprising that they are also effective at lowering raised levels of blood lipids. This can make pistachios effective at raising raised levels of triglycerides and cholesterol. Another beneficial effect of pistachios is the ability they possess to generate satiety and lower food intake. This may explain the studies that show that pistachios are associated with a reduction in body weights in those that consume them regularly. 

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Dreher, M. L. 2012. Pistachio nuts: composition and potential health benefits. Nutrition Reviews. 70(4): 234-240

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Polyphenols in Almonds

Posted on November 27, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Almonds are the seeds of drupes and are not true tree nuts. The almond is a dense source of nutrients, particularly fat, and this puts many off from consuming them because of the belief that they may cause weight gain. However, almonds have a number of health benefits and in particular may be able to normalise elevated levels of lipids and they are therefore a potential benefit to those with the metabolic syndrome. One of the reasons that almonds may have this ability to normalise elevated levels of blood lipids is the polyphenols they contain. Over 130 different polyphenols have been identified within almonds. This includes 162 mg proanthocyanidins, 82.1 mg hydrolysable tannins, 61.2 mg flavonoids, 5.5 mg phenolic acids and aldehydes, and 0.7 mg isoflavones, stilbenes, and lignans per 100 g almond. The skin of almonds is the richest source of polyphenols and so blanching to remove the skin significantly reduces the polyphenol and therefore antioxidant content of the almond. The polyphenols in almonds are used by the plant to protect the tissues of the seed from lipid peroxidation, and the effects they have in humans and animals, once absorbed, is similar. Reducing lipid peroxidation in cells improves insulin sensitivity and this lowers blood glucose levels and normalises blood lipid levels. Almonds are not associated with weight gain when eaten as part of a healthy diet. 

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Bolling, B. W. 2017. Almond polyphenols: Methods of analysis, contribution to food quality, and health promotion. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 16(3): 346-368

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When is a Nut Not a Nut?

Posted on November 26, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Tree nuts are a category of food that refer to the dry fruits of trees that are encapsulated in a hard shell. True tree nuts include walnuts, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts. Nuts are similar in their nutritional composition and are generally high in unsaturated fats, high in fibre, low in carbohydrate and contain high amounts of minerals such as potassium and magnesium. Brazil nuts are also one of the richest sources of selenium. Tree nuts are also right in polyphenols, which confer antioxidant potential to them. Nuts have some general health characteristics, one of the most evidenced is their ability to normalise elevated levels of blood lipids and to be able to treat metabolic syndrome. Peanuts are not tree nuts but are actually pulses from leguminous plants, and in this regard are related to peas and beans. Peanuts are a healthy food, and like true tree nuts are high in fat and fibre, and they also have similar beneficial effects on blood lipids. Cashews are also not true tree nuts but are the seed of fruit bearing trees. These trees produce drupes, which are fleshy on the outside but have a hard seed. This group of drupes can also include pistachios and almonds. These drupes have similar properties to true tree nuts in that they are high in fat and fibre, contain minerals and polyphenols and may be useful at treating elevated levels of blood lipids. However, cashews are higher in carbohydrate compared to tree nuts. Although botanically different, all of these “nuts” have similar nutritional significance and are evidenced to improve health as part of a balanced diet. 

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Fish Oils Without Vitamin E: Potential Lipid Peroxidation

Posted on November 25, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Fish oils are a potential source of two long chain marine fatty acids. These fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5 (n-3)) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6 (n-3)). These two fatty acids can feed into the essential fatty acid pathway and therefore can compensate for low dietary intakes of the essential fatty acid linolenic acid (LA, C18:3 (n-3)). However, the long chain and highly unsaturated nature of EPA and DHA makes them susceptible to lipid peroxidation, and this can cause the fats to easily become rancid during storage. Furthermore the lipid peroxidation can initiate free radical chain reactions within the tissues and this can damage cell membranes and cause disease, particularly to the brain. Therefore it is important that fish oils are consumed with chain breaking antioxidants, to protect them in storage and to prevent any tissue damage. The most useful antioxidant in this respect is vitamin E, which accumulates in cell membranes and protects them from damage. 

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RdB

Meydani, M., Natiello, F., Goldin, B., Free, N., Woods, M., Schaefer, E., Blumberg, J. B. and Gorbach, S. L. 1991. Effect of long-term fish oil supplementation on vitamin E status and lipid peroxidation in women. The Journal of Nutrition. 121(4): 484-491

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Tongkat Ali for Athletic Performance

Posted on November 22, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Eurycoma longifolia is a medicinal herbal plant that is commonly called tongkat ali. It grows in tropical regions of Southern Asia. Some evidence suggests that tongkat ali is an adaptogenic herb  and in this regard it may have certain applications for athletes. In traditional medicine, tongkat ali is used as an aphrodisiac which suggests iit may affect the hormonal system. Benefits for athletes may result from elevations of testosterone, and long term supplementation of tongkat ali (over 1 month) may cause elevations in testosterone in older men. This is supported by evidence from studies that have shown improvements in body composition with supplements of tongkat ali, when in combination with resistance training. Tongkat ali may also accelerate strength gains with weight training, and this may be as a direct result of increased testosterone levels. Some of the active principles in toingkat ali are bitter chemicals called quassinoids and these can make consumption of tongkat ali difficult as a drink. Therefore the preferred method of consumption is tablets or capsules. 

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RdB

Talbott, S. M. 2019. Human performance and sports applications of Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia). In Nutrition and Enhanced Sports Performance. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-396454-0.00053-9: 729-734

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Glycine: Effects During Sleep

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Glycine is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and inhibits motor neurones. This effect is demonstrated by the blockage of glycine receptors in postsynaptic receptors by strychnine, which causes significant tetany and convulsions from extensive muscle contractions. The role of glycine in causing muscle relaxation in the postsynaptic motor neurones of the spinal cord can be demonstrated by the role of glycine during sleep. Glycine may play a significant role in causing atonia during sleep, and this is particularly evident during REM sleep where muscle relaxation occurs. This relaxation is a characteristic of REM sleep and may be required by the brain to allow the process of dreaming without “acting out” any movements present in the dreams. The findings of studies that glycine was important in the atonia seen during REM sleep may explain the benefits to sleep quality seen with glycine supplementation. Those with poor quality sleep may therefore benefit from taking glycine as an adjunct to other strategies to induce a deeper and more high quality sleep. 

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Soja, P. J. 2008. Glycine-Mediated Postsynaptic Inhibition is Responsible for REM Sleep Atonia: Commentary on Brooks PL and Peever JH. Glycinergic and GABAA-mediated inhibition of somatic motoneurons does not mediate rapid eye movement sleep motor atonia. Journal of Neuroscience. 28: 3535–3545

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Plants with Insulin Mimetic Properties

Posted on November 20, 2024 by Robert Barrington

A number of plants have insulin mimetic effects. For example, Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum) contains a chemical called 4-hydroxyleucine that may lower blood glucose by stimulating the release of insulin from the β-cells of the pancreas. Aloe vera contains a bitter principle that may also cause stimulation of the β-cells of the pancreas. Isolated compounds from Aloe vera  including pseudoprototinosaponin AIII and prototinosaponins AIII  may cause a hypoglycaemic effect by modifying hepatic gluconeogenesis or glycogenolysis. Berberine, a plant compound found in a number of plants including goldenseal, goldenthread and barberry may exacerbate the effects of insulin in the presence of glucose. The spice cinnamon (Cinnamon zeylaniucm) has been shown to result in enhanced insulin release, which may relate to its high chromium content. Caffeine, present in tea and coffee, can also stimulate glucose dependent insulin release from the pancreas. Further to this, tea (Camellia sinensis) contains polyphenols including Epigallocatechin gallate that increases the activity of insulin, perhaps through its ability to reduce insulin sensitivity. Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre) has also been shown to possess hypoglycaemic effects because it can stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas. The fig tree (Ficus bengalensis) has also been shown to raise levels of serum insulin and at the same time have a pronounced hypoglycaemic effect. Nigella sativa oil and Momordica charantia fruit juice can also decrease blood glucose and stimulate insulin release. These insulin mimetic effects may explain the weight loss effects seen in many of these herbs, spices and plant compounds. 

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Patel, D. K., Prasad, S. K., Kumar, R. and Hemalatha, S. 2012. An overview on antidiabetic medicinal plants having insulin mimetic property. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine. 2(4): 320-330

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4-Hydroxyisoleucine In Fenugreek

Posted on November 19, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum) seeds contain the amino acid 4-Hydroxyisoleucine. This amino acid is present in high concentrations in the seeds and may be the reason that the seeds are able to provide benefits to physical performance. The reason for this is the 4-hydroxyisoleucine demonstrates insulinotropic effects in the presence of moderate hyperglycaemia because it is able to directly stimulate the β-cells of the pancreas. Fenugreek seeds may therefore have beneficial effects post exercise where they may be able to increase the uptake of glycogen into skeletal muscle tissues, a process that requires insulin. The hypoglycaemic effects of fenugreek have been investigated for this reason. For example, in one study, cyclists trained for 90 minutes to deplete glycogen stores in their legs and were then administered glucose with 4-hydroxyisoleucine or glucose alone during the recovery period. In the glucose plus 4-hydroxyisoleucine group the rate of glycogen uptake was 63 % greater compared to glucose alone, suggesting the 4-hydroxyisoleucine may have significant ergogenic properties. One other consideration of the insulinotropic effects of fenugreek seeds may be that amino acid uptake to muscles is also increased, as uptake of certain amino acids to skeletal muscle is increased in the presence of insulin.  

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RdB

Ruby, B. C., Gaskill, S. E., Slivka, D. and Harger, S. G. 2005. The addition of fenugreek extract (Trigonella foenum-graecum) to glucose feeding increases muscle glycogen resynthesis after exercise. Amino acids. 28(1): 71

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