Esther Yeo
Drinking for 10 years
What is anti-inflammatory juice?
Hello. This is Esther Yeo.
Two years ago, I appeared on JTBC's <Ask for a Fridge> and talked about an anti-inflammatory juice made from broccoli, celery, and parsley. The reason I give these juices the name "anti-inflammatory" is because of the powerful anti-inflammatory properties of apigenin in these vegetables.
In fact, I've been making apigenin juice every morning on an empty stomach for over 10 years. And I think this allows me to maintain relatively low levels of inflammation and manage my health.
Apigenin, which has this amazing effect, is a type of defense substance that plants release to protect themselves from their surroundings. And this substance is one of the reasons why plants are not as susceptible to cancer as animals are. So today, we're going to take a closer look at the powerful defense substances of different plants and introduce some easy recipes to make the most of them.
A powerful antioxidant weapon
It's buried right in the ground.
Phytochemical is a compound word of phyto and chemical, and it is a substance produced by plants to protect themselves from pathogens and pests. Phytochemicals are also referred to as the color energy of plants, because they are the natural pigments that produce each plant's unique color. For example, tomatoes have a red color thanks to a phytochemical called lycopene.
When these colorful phytochemicals enter our bodies, they all have powerful antioxidant properties. Antioxidants attack normal cells and DNA and suppress free radicals, which are considered to be the cause of various diseases including cancer and aging. It has also been shown to increase immune function and detoxification, while reducing cell damage and cancer cell growth rates. Therefore, in recent years, the scientific community has been paying attention to the identification of the types of phytochemicals and their inexhaustible effects.
Recognizable by color
Colorful Health Tips
However, betaine lowers homocysteine, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Homocysteine is a product of the metabolism of methionine, one of the essential amino acids, and is necessary for the body. However, abnormal increases in homocysteine concentrations due to genetic defects, imbalanced nutrients, diseases, or lifestyle habits, which can cause blood vessels to age, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease. Therefore, it is important to maintain adequate levels of homocysteine.
Betaine is involved in the metabolism of this homocysteine. It also detoxifies and protects the kidneys. These betaines are found in plants such as beets and goji berries, and are known to give them their unique umami and red color.
Recipe Tip: It's hard to eat beets on their own, so we recommend grating them with apples and carrots to make ABC juice or using them in salads.
Second, beta-carotene becomes vitamin A in the body.
Beta-carotene is a relatively familiar ingredient. It is a type of 'carotenoid' that plays a role in removing free radicals in order to prevent plants from damaging their photosynthesis machinery due to light. Carotenoids are mainly found in red, orange, and yellow plants, and more than 600 types have been identified.
Of these, beta-carotene is found in green and yellow vegetables such as carrots, leeks, and spinach, as well as algae such as spirulina and chlorella. When beta-carotene enters the body, it is metabolized in the liver and intestines and converted into vitamin A. Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for maintaining normal visual function and for the growth and development of cells. Therefore, vitamin A deficiency is considered to be a major cause of visual impairment in children, from dry eye syndrome and night blindness, and is known to cause a decrease in epithelial cell function. That's what the saying "carrots are good for your eyes" means.
Recipe Tip: Carrots contain a lot of beta-carotene in their skin, so it's best to wash them thoroughly and eat them unpeeled. In addition, beta-carotene is fat-soluble, soluble in oil, so it is recommended to add a few drops of olive oil and grind it into juice or eat it in a salad with an oil dressing.
Third, apigenin has an excellent function of lowering inflammation.
By far, apigenin is one of the most high-profile phytochemicals in academia in recent years. Apigenin effectively lowers oxidative stress in the body and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent by inhibiting pathways by inhibiting the pathways by which inflammatory molecules work [1]. In addition, several national and international journals have shown that apigenin inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in various types of tumors [2-5].
So, what are these apigenin-containing plants? Researchers believe that broccoli, celery, and parsley are the richest sources of apigenin of all plants.
Recipe Tip: Grind these vegetables with a small amount of water and drink them as a breakfast substitute for a simple healthy juice. However, if you find it difficult to eat because it is not tasty, you can add lemon or a small amount of honey to enjoy it.
Today, I've introduced my opinion on phytochemicals. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us. Thank you as always.
Bibliography
[1] Ginwala, R.; Bhavsar, R.; Chigbu, D.G.I.; Jain, P.; Khan, Z.K (2019). Potential Role of Flavonoids in Treating Chronic Inflammatory Diseases with a Special Focus on the Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Apigenin. Antioxidants, 8(2): 35.
[2] Shukla, S., Gupta, S (2010). Apigenin: A Promising Molecule for Cancer Prevention. Pharm Res, 27: 962-978.
[3] Yan, X., Qi, M., Li, P. et al (2017). Apigenin in cancer therapy: anti-cancer effects and mechanisms of action. Cell Biosci, 7(50).
[4] Salehi B, Venditti A, Sharifi-Rad M, Kręgiel D, Sharifi-Rad J, Durazzo A, Lucarini M, Santini A, Souto EB, Novellino E, Antolak H, Azzini E, Setzer WN, Martins N (2019). The Therapeutic Potential of Apigenin. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(6):1305.
[5] Imran, M, Aslam Gondal, T, Atif, M, et al (2020). Apigenin as an anticancer agent. Phytotherapy Research, 34: 1812-1828.
Comments (0)
There are no comments for this article. Be the first one to leave a message!