Phyto-News Grab Bag via American Botanical Counsel - and Pecans & nuts!

Black garlic for CVD; Mallotus furetianus - anti-obesity; Ursolic acid - axon protection during pregnancy; Pecans - anti-obesity and reduce inflammation.

Black Garlic May Lower Cholesterol, Protect Against Cardiovascular Disease. NutraIngredients-USA. August 4, 2023. According to a recent study, incorporating black garlic into one's diet might enhance endothelial function and lipid profile among individuals with elevated cholesterol levels, consequently leading to reduced cardiovascular disease risks. Black garlic is fermented at high temperature and loses its odor and turns black and becomes sweeter in flavor. The S-alkyl cysteine content is also increased and likely aids health by supporting mitochondrial function. (Nutraingredients.com)

• See: (Villaño, et al., 2023)

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Tropical Plant Native to China Reveals Antiobesity Potential. Science Daily. August 4, 2023. A recently published study found the anti-obesity activity of Mallotus furetianus extract led to a loss of weight and fat tissue in mice and reduced fatty liver and size of the fat cells. The plant is native to China and was sourced from Hainan Island, China. (ScienceDaily) It was found to suppress PPAR𝛾 (Nakano, et al., 2023) which would help shift mitochondria back to use of the Citric Acid Cycle. (Kang, et al., 2021)

See: (Nakano, et al., 2023), Mallotus furetianus extract (MFE):

“An interesting finding in this study was the clarification that MFE decreases the expression of C/EBPβ through post-translation modifications (PTMs), followed by the transcriptional suppression of PPAR𝛾 and C/EBP𝛼.” […] “In this study, we found that MFE significantly suppressed the increase in body weight and adipose tissue weight in the in vivo obesity model of high-fat diet mice. We have also shown that the treatment of MFE suppressed the expression of transcription factors that involves at the early stage of differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and reduced triglyceride (TG) accumulation.” (Nakano, et al., 2023)

Inhibiting PPAR𝛾 would support normal mitochondrial function and that might help reduce weight gain on a high fat diet, as a higher ratio of fats in the diet cause PPAR𝛾 to inhibit PDK1 and 2 enzymes which shuts off acetyl CoA production which is needed for the Citric Acid Cycle to work. Reduced PDK1 and 2 levels also reduces an increase in mature fat cells (adipocytes) differentiating from immature ones. (Kang, et al., 2021)

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Mothers' Diet During Pregnancy Can Protect Brain Health of Her Grandchildren; Researchers Explain How. Medical Daily. August 4, 2023. A recent study found that more apples and herbs in a mother’s diet during initial stages of pregnancy, may help protect the brain health of both children and grandchildren. Ursolic acid found in apple and herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage) protects against axon fragility within a developing fetus. Stronger nerve axons protect both the fetus and any ovum that develop in a female fetus - representing safer brain development of the next generation of grandchildren. (MedicalDaily)

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New Research: Regular Pecan Consumption Could Curb Obesity and Reduce Inflammation. Science Tech Daily. August 4, 2023. A recent research study suggests eating pecans could help improve obesity and inflammation by improving gut dysbiosis and enhancing energy expenditure. This could mean pecans would be a superfood for many types of chronic diseases. (SciTechDaily)

Pecans, Photo by Delfina Cocciardi on Unsplash

Pecans and other nuts - phosphorus, salicylate, oxalate and histamine triggers.

Pecans more tolerable for me than other types of nuts. Phosphorus, salicylate and oxalate content may be reduced by blanching and removing the peel as I can eat some types of nuts blanched that I don’t tolerate well roasted or raw with the peel.

Walnuts and peanuts are a bad histamine trigger - total avoids for me.

Pecans have made it through my many lists of foods to avoid - I can still eat pecans, raw better than roasted/salted. They are not too bad for histamine, oxalate, salicylate, and their phosphorus to calcium/magnesium ratio is not too bad. Roasting nuts seems to increase the phosphorus concentration.

Regarding phosphorus, salicylate or oxalate in pistachios - I find them more tolerable if I blanch and peel them first, similarly to almonds and hazelnuts. Boiling cashews and throwing away the water seems to make cashews more tolerable for me too. The blanched nuts are softer and easier to chew. Cashews I will refry briefly with some coriander for flavor and to recrisp a bit - they are not the most tolerable for me though. Pecans are better for me.

The pistachios are more pea-like when boiled and I eat them in salads. Blanched almonds are also softer and I might slice or chop them for use in a salad or just eat them with the softer slightly cheese-like texture. Cashews and pistachios are fairly high carbohydrate for a nut. Almonds and hazelnuts with their hard crisp texture are lower carbohydrate in proportion to fat and protein.

Almonds, cashews and pistachios are higher phosphorus than pecans and hazelnuts. Almonds are a good source of calcium and magnesium though. Cashews are a good source of magnesium. See: Lower phosphorus food choices. (Substack)

Which ones are salicylate sources is more confusing as the lists vary in how the types are rated. Cashews are said to be low, while another source said they are high in salicylates. This (pdf) lists peanuts with the skin, almonds, and water chestnuts as Very High in salicylates; and Brazil nuts, Macadamia and pine nuts, and pistachios in the High category. Pecan are listed in the Moderate and the Low categories - leaving us guessing.

Blanching is a quick boil, about three minutes and then drain and put in cold water to help release the peels. If the peels don’t pop off fairly easily, boil a little longer.

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Phyto-News grab bag courtesy of American Botanical Counsel - sign up for your own email newsletter from them. The organization has resources available for improving sustainable harvest of botanical herbs and summary pages about 9000+ herbs called HerbClips. (herbalgram.org)

AUSTIN, Texas (February 2, 2023) — The nonprofit American Botanical Council (ABC) is pleased to announce the publication of its 9,000th HerbClip. An essential research and educational resource for scientists, researchers, health professionals, industry members, and others, HerbClips are two- to three-page summaries and critical reviews of scientific journal articles that cover medicinal plant-related human clinical research, ethnobotanical reviews, analytical methods, regulatory data, market information, conservation and sustainability studies, and more. (herbalgram.org/HerbClip News)

Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a *functional health professional for individual health care purposes.

Reference List

(Kang, et al., 2021) Kang, HJ., Min, BK., Choi, WI. et al. Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 and 2 deficiency reduces high-fat diet-induced hypertrophic obesity and inhibits the differentiation of preadipocytes into mature adipocytes. Exp Mol Med 53, 1390–1401 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s12276-021-00672-1

(Nakano, et al., 2023) Touko Nakano, Yutaro Sasaki, Toshio Norikura, Yusuke Hosokawa, Mayu Kasano, Isao Matsui‐Yuasa, Xuedan Huang, Yoshinori Kobayashi, Akiko Kojima‐Yuasa. The suppression of the differentiation of adipocytes with Mallotus furetianus is regulated through the posttranslational modifications of C/EBPβ. Food Science & Nutrition, 2023; DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3551

(Villaño, et al., 2023) Villaño D, Marhuenda J, Arcusa R, Moreno-Rojas JM, Cerdá B, Pereira-Caro G, Zafrilla P. Effect of Black Garlic Consumption on Endothelial Function and Lipid Profile: A Before-and-After Study in Hypercholesterolemic and Non-Hypercholesterolemic Subjects. Nutrients. 2023; 15(14):3138. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15143138 https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/14/3138