PLANT NUTRIENTS THAT WILL HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

If you want to lose weight, you should firstly know that there's no magic pill for achieving this in a safe and effective way. Lifestyle changes like dieting and doing exercise are essential, but they might not be enough. I invite you to understand the different factors involved in the process of storing undesired excess fat and to learn what foods will give you the extra help you need. There are many plant nutrients that modulate several biological functions like fat storage, fat burning, inflammation, sensitivity to insulin and creation of new adipose cells that are all involved in obesity.

WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF FAT ANYWAY?

Fat is important for storing energy, conserving body heat and cushioning organs. It is deposited in adipose cells which respond to metabolic and hormonal signals that indicate them the right time to keep or burn fat. However, some factors like an unbalanced diet, lack of exercise and genetics can offset the balance and favor fat storing. Adipose cells thus grow in size and number and produce some toxic substances that ultimately affect the liver, heart, lungs, pancreas and brain, leading to the development of other chronic and degenerative diseases.

Fat is  deposited in adipose cells, whose uncontrolled growth leads to chronic and degenerative diseases

REDUCE INFLAMMATION AT ALL COST

Some of the substances that adipose cells produce are called cytokines. They attract white blood cells in an effort to get rid of the swollen and dead adipose cells, which produce even more cytokines that put the body in a chronic inflammatory state. Inflammation plays a major role in the development of diabetes, brain diseases, cardiovascular diseases and even cancer. Add the following phytochemicals to your diet in order to reduce inflammation:

Curcumin

Long used in Indian medicine and culinary tradition, turmeric is rich in curcumin, an anti-inflammatory molecule that is responsible for turmeric’s deep-orange-yellow color. Curcumin blocks the expression of NF-ƘB, a gene that commands the production of many inflammatory compounds including cytokines. Use turmeric powder to prepare delicious golden rice, chicken soup or tea with some drops of honey.

Naringenin

Grapefruit not only contains great amounts of vitamin C, but is rich in naringenin, a powerful antioxidant that blocks adipose cells’ production of inflammatory substances and prevents white blood cells from infiltrating to the adipose tissue. Add grapefruit to your salads or have it as a healthy snack, but avoid having juices because they have a lot of sugar and little amounts of fiber. Grapefruit can be really sour, so don’t forget to remove the membranes to enjoy a sweeter taste. In addition, naringenin interferes with the metabolism of many drugs, so I strongly recommend you to ask your doctor if you can take grapefruit when you are on a treatment.

PROMOTE LIPOLYSIS AND PREVENT LIPOGENESIS

Fat burning, also called lipolysis, is the process of using fat as a fuel and is triggered by aerobic exercise. In addition, some plants have the amazing ability to turn on this metabolic switch and also block lipogenesis - the synthesis of fat from sugar. 

Resveratrol

Found in grapes and its derivatives, many health benefits are associated to the long-term intake of resveratrol. It increases lipolysis in adipose cells and reduces lipogenesis and growth of adipose cells. If you are familiar to the French paradox, now you understand why French people eat a lot of saturated fat without having such high rates of cardiovascular diseases as Americans. You can have 1 or 2 cups of red wine daily, but don’t forget alcoholic beverages are often high in calories.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)

If you want to keep burning calories after working out, green tea is an excellent beverage that leaves your metabolic switch on. In addition, the body uses fat to generate heat – a process called thermogenesis – which can be induced by green tea’s main constituent EGCG. So make sure to have a nice cup of green tea after doing exercise and having lunch!

Capsaicin

Have you ever wondered why chili peppers are so spicy? They contain significant amounts of an alkaloid called capsaicin that has many pharmacological effects, including inducing thermogenesis and reduction of body fat. Capsaicin works better in combination with EGCG, so you can have a spicy meal with green tea. Remember many phytochemicals work together to exert powerful pharmacological actions that have yet to be understood.

CUT OFF NUTRIENT SUPPLY OF ADIPOSE CELLS

Blood vessels supply oxygen and nutrients to the whole body. They are created through a biological process called angiogenesis that is triggered during wound healing. As the adipose tissue grows, angiogenesis is needed in order to provide enough oxygen and nutrients to the area. The body has an amazing capacity to create blood vessels; in fact for every 10 kilograms of extra weight, 29 kilometers of blood vessels are formed!

During weight loss, there is a healthy reduction of blood vessels which can be supported by eating anti-angiogenesis foods such as:

·        Green tea

·        Red grapes

·        Garlic

·        Turmeric

·        Berries

·        Kale

·        Artichoke

·        Tomato

·        Parsley

·        Soybeans

 How do they manage to modulate angiogenesis? Cells produce a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that stimulates the creation and growth of vessels. Phytonutrients from such foods block the gene that encodes VEGF, reducing the production of this protein. Please note that they do not block angiogenesis completely, but somewhat reduce the ability of adipose tissue to create new vessels, which is just one of the many biological functions that have to be modulated as part of the integral management of obesity.

LOWER DIABETES RISK

You have probably been told this a thousand times: if you are obese, you have a greater risk of developing diabetes. This is partly because excess fat moves from the adipose tissue to other organs, such as the liver, muscles, heart and pancreas, where they have toxic effects and trigger organ dysfunction. Insulin resistance can be a consequence of obesity, which is the inability of cells to take up glucose to produce energy.

Cyanidin

The strong color of berries is due to a family of molecules called anthocyanidins. Cyanidin is the most common anthocyanidin and is largely found in blackberries. It improves cells’ ability to take up glucose in respond to insulin signals, which is the exact opposite of insulin resistance, and therefore lowers the risk of diabetes. Cyanidin has other many benefits such as preventing cancer and chronic diseases. Eat a handful of blackberries daily, they are also rich in vitamin C and minerals that expand their health benefits.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Many people certainly become obsessed with reducing calorie intake and doing exercise, but they sometimes forget that phytochemicals can further aid to lose weight by modulating the different biological functions mentioned above. Make sure to incorporate all these foods to your diet. You will enjoy the results in a shorter time and will also help you to promote general health and well-being.

If you want to find out more technical information on how plant nutrients modulate biological functions involved in obesity, read this very comprehensive article published in the Journal of Pharmacological Sciences:

Marta Gonzalez-Castejon, Arantxa Rodriguez-Casado. Dietary phytochemicals and their potential effects on obesity: A review Pharmacological Research 64 (2011) 438– 455.

How to Lessen the Severity of Lupus in a Natural Way

Diet plays an important role in preventing and decreasing the severity of autoimmune diseases. While some foods such as sugar and gluten trigger and sustain inflammation in the body, others have anti-inflammatory effect. People who suffer from inflammatory diseases should definetely learn what foods can help them manage their condition. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) damages the joints, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, blood vessels or brain and as most chronic and degenerative diseases, many factors contribute to their development and progress. So how can this be aided in a natural way?


Lupus, estrogen and indole-3-carbinol phytonutrient

Estrogen is thought to play an important role in SLE due to women in their reproductive years are more prone to develop it. It has been observed that SLE patients have higher concentrations of a estrogen metabolite called 16α-hydroxyestrone which might increase the severity of the disease. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage are rich in a compound called glucobrassinin, which is transformed into indole-3-carbinol (I3C) during cutting or chewing. I3C is proven to decrease the concentration of estrogenic metabolites lessening lupus severity.


The importance of antioxidants 

Rosemary contains a powerful antioxidant called rosmarinic acid

Oxidative stress in another important factor in lupus. In fact some researchers catalogue it as a strong risk factor for autoimmune diseases because it dysregulates the immune system and produces auto antibodies. It has been observed that SLE patients have lower levels of both glutathione and superoxide dismutase (SOD), which are natural mechanisms against oxidative substances in the body. N-acetylcysteine supplements are recommended for increasing glutathione, and many antioxidants such as rosemary's rosmarinic acid, turmeric's curcumin and red wine's resveratrol stimulate cellular production of SOD. An enhanced activity of SOD has amazing effects in the body, for instance many organisms live longer when this marvelous enzyme is overexpressed! SOD not only destroys oxidative compounds in the body, but turns on many anti-aging genes that protects cells and tissues from mutations, inflammation and toxic compounds.

Incorporate rosemary into your diet. It goes very well with chicken, fish and potatoes.

If you want to read more about the effects of oxidative stress on the body and how to fight it, read my previous blog posts on lowering LDL cholesterol and preventing brain diseases. 


The promising effects of turmeric

Ancient Indian physicians were pretty aware of the healing effects of turmeric

Turmeric is a key ingredient in many Asian dishes and traditional Indian medicine. Through clinical trials, modern science has verified its amazing potential on inflammatory diseases including lupus nephritis. Turmeric contains curcumin, a phenolic compound that is responsible for its yellow color and pharmacological effects. Curcumin is able to modulate numerous processes in the cells, inhibiting substances called cytokines and genes such as NF-κB that have inflammatory activity. Add turmeric to your diet, there are many recipes you can find for turmeric rice and soup which are delicious and will make you feel happy knowing that your food is your medicine. 

KEEP YOUR BRAIN HEALTHY WITH THIS AMAZING NUTRIENT

Whether you are young and passionate about infusing energy into whatever project you have or an elderly person who enjoys spending an amazing time with your grandchildren, it is always desirable to keep a healthy brain. But let's be honest, tons of articles have been dedicated on promoting a healthy lifestyle such as eating fruits and vegetables, doing exercise, sleeping earlier, learning new skills, and quitting smoking, which make the decision of incorporating healthy habits really tough and overwhelming. If you'd rather take small smart steps, consider taking amazing sulforaphane in a daily basis.

Sulforaphane is naturally present in cruciferous vegetables namely broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbages. It is produced upon chewing or cutting the vegetables and has been proven to have many healthy properties in the body. As most phytonutrients, sulforaphane interacts in many ways with the molecular machinery within cells and tissues, for instance it prevents acute and chronic oxidation of the brain, modulates inflammation in the body, and induces tumor cell death. How does it do it?:

Antioxidant effect

The human body possesses an amazing pro-oxidants/antioxidants balance system that makes it possible to use oxygen to live; however, as everything in nature, such balance can be broken. If it is unrestored, oxidative substances (free radicals) increase in quantity and damage the DNA, lipids and proteins - a condition called oxidative stress that affects the brain as well as other organs. The brain consumes a lot of oxygen and has plenty of fatty acids that can be oxidized. Sulforaphane prevents oxidative stress by activating Nrf2, a protein that turns on some genes that protect the cells from oxidative substances and carcinogens. So why not helping our body combat free radicals in a natural way?

Protection against inflammation

Inflammation is a normal body's reaction to infection, damaged cells or irritants with the purpose of eliminating and repairing the damaged tissue. Acute inflammation is the initial response to a harmful stimuli and is a controlled defense mechanism. However, similar to the pro-oxidants/antioxidants balance system, inflammation can get out of control and is associated to most chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, brain diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and cardiovascular diseases (know more about the role of oxidative stress and inflammation in high LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases here).

Cellular mechanisms can be compared to on/off switches that can be modulated by phytochemicals. Sulforaphane modulates inflammation by blocking NF-κB turning off cell production of many inflammatory compounds called cytokines that ultimately damage tissues.

Keep the brain healthy

A group of researchers at the University of Bologna, Italy is dedicated to partly studying the role of sulforaphane against neurodegenerative diseases. As the brain ages, undesirable plaques made of amyloid beta peptides may accumulate outside the neurons, affecting their normal activity and provoking cognitive disorders. Such accumulation is due to several reasons such as oxidative stress, production of abnormal proteins in the cells, and failure to destroy damaged proteins. Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, sclerosis and multiple sclerosis are actually associated to oxidative stress. Interestingly, sulforaphane protects neurons by fighting oxidative stress and stimulating the elimination of proteins that are no longer necessary; therefore, undesirable plaques do not accumulate outside the cells. Moreover, sulforaphane was recently found to promote neuron survival and growth by stimulating the production of a protein called brain derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF)! This could also explain how it prevents brain damage secondary to trauma and injuries.

So why waiting until we have brain fog? There are many reasons for consuming more sulforaphane now, so make sure you never miss your daily dose by eating at least 1 cup of broccoli a day or 1.5 cups of Brussel sprouts.

You don't like broccoli or Brussel sprouts? Other foods that contain sulforaphane are boy choy, kale, collards, mustard, radish, arugula and watercress. You can prepare fresh and delicious salads 4-5 times a week with all of them and your brain will say thank you, thank you, thank you.

If you want to know more about the benefits of sulforaphane you should definetely read the published studies of Cristina Angeloni and her colleagues at University of Bologna, Italy. They are generating very valuable information in this area that I bet will make you become a sulforaphane fan.