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Plant-based diets, rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, are key to prevention non-communicable chronic diseases (NCD), says the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) in a September 19, 2023 issue (1).

NCDs like cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, and cancer stem from genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors and are aggravated by high-sugar, high-fat diets (3).

Brazilian native fruits, originating from diverse biomes, are rich in bioactive compounds, and their processing not only allows for fresh consumption, but also yields by-products rich in valuable elements like phenolics, providing substantial health benefits. According to the National Institute of Health, phenolics in plants can defend against ultraviolet radiation, pathogens and parasites (2). Brazilian native fruits include acerola, açaí, baru, buriti, guava, jabuticaba, and juçara. Cerrado plants present in the Brazilian forests, contain phenolic compounds which offer anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial actions (4). 

The MDPI review discusses the findings of in-vitro studies, pre-clinical studies and clinical trials on the effects of Brazilian native fruits, their by-products, as well as their bioactive compounds on human intestinal microbiota and NCD showing the science behind these claims (1).

1. https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/18/3491

2. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230921/Brazilian-fruits-positively-impact-gut-health-and-chronic-disease-prevention.aspx

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6259146/#:~:text=Plant%20phenolics%20are%20generally%20involved,part%20of%20the%20human%20diet.

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4632725/

The astragalus plant (Astragalus membranaceus) has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. It was often combined with other herbs to strengthen the body against disease. Astragaus is an adaptogen that defends our body from physical, mental, or emotional stress (1).

Astragalus is important in the aging process, and research suggests, has positive effects on tumors and cancer, according to Pubmed Central (4) and Oxford University Press.

Astragalus helps prevent tumor growth and protects against cell damage. Astragalus achieves this by reducing the aging of telomeres. Telomeres are structural “protective ends” of DNA. Telomere attrition during successive cell divisions induces chromosomal instability, and can lead to cancer. Cancer is generally an age-related genetic disease, manifesting only when normal cells accumulate genomic instability over a period of time, according to Biomed Central (3).

One study of 29 human colon cancer cells and tumor xenograft was undertaken by Quality Assurance Laboratory of the School of Chinese Medicine and Hong Kong Baptist University (6). The results showed that Astragalus saponins (AST) inhibit cell proliferation in part by inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinase activity, according to the research published by Oxford University Press (6).

Other sources say that Telomeres are a ribonucleoprotein complex responsible for progressive synthesis of telomeric DNA repeats (TTAGGG) (3). Telomerase counteracts the telomere shrinking process that delays, even reverses the cellular aging process (4) (5).

1. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/astragalus-benefits

2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/astragalus

3. https://genomemedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13073-016-0324-x

4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21417995/#:~:text=Telomerase%20is%20the%20enzyme%20responsible,and%20stem%20and%20tumor%20cells

5. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telomerase

6. https://academic.oup.com/carcin/article/28/6/1347/2476243#