Anthocyanin

High content in cherries

• Tart cherries (e.g. Montmorency) contain roughly twice as many phenolic compounds than sweet cherries (E.g. Bing), but sweet cherries contain roughly twice as many anthocyanins. Cherries are also rich in carotenoids, quercetin, melatonin, and vitamins E and C.
• High anthocyanin content in cherries thought to provide an anti-inflammatory effect.    A Review of the Health Benefits of Cherries
• Consuming cherries, or juice or extract effective against GOUT (a form of arthritis marked by sudden attacks of joint pain /inflammation) – eating at least 10 cherries (type not specified)/day is associated with a 50% reduction of recurrent gout flares over a 48hr period – study by Boston univ Med. Center, published 2012 in J. Arthritis & Rheumatism.
• 2010 study at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J., involving 24 gout patients, achieved similar results when taking 1 Tbsp. cherry extract (equiv. ~45-60 cherries) twice daily for 4 months.  Study reference?
• Drinking an 8oz bottle of tart cherry juice ( juice of ~45 cherries) twice daily for 6 weeks relieved OSTEOARTHRITIS.    So found a 2013 study by Philadelphia VA medical center.  Participants showed significant decrease in the standard inflammation marker, C-reactive protein (CRP).
• Selective COX-2 inhibitor better than both COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors.   NSAID (or coxib) drugs such as ibuprofen® and naproxen®, reduce pain and inflammation by suppressing the COX-2 enzyme. Unfortunately, they also suppress the COX-1 enzyme, which is a primary protector of the stomach lining, and extended use of these coxibs can cause GI discomfort and stomach ulcers leading to internal bleeding, with the risk of dying after only 2 months of NSAID use increasing to 1 in 1200. (To put this in perspective: this is 1000 times more perilous than taking a single flight) Number Needed To Kill Individual Drug Risk with NSAIDs

NSAIDS /coxibs warning

• Comparing data published from pre-1997 to that from 1997-2008, mortality in patients suffering from an upper gastrointestinal bleed or perforation has fallen from 1 in 9 to 1 in 13 overall, but has actually increased from about 1 in 7 to 1 in 5 in those exposed to NSAID or aspirin! S.Straube et al, Mortality with upper gastrointestinal bleeding and perforation: effects of time and NSAID use. 2009 Jun 5;BMC Gastroenterol. 9:41.
• Obscenely expensive Vioxx® was an attempt at suppressing COX-2, whilst preserving COX-1 – it failed.    Causing tens of thousands of deaths due to heart attack or stroke. HOWEVER 🙂 it turns out that cherries are a natural selective COX-2 inhibitor.

Proanthocyanidins

High content in grape skins and juice, but highly concentrated in grape seed extract (up to 70-90% proanthocyandins). Also contain many other polyphenols. Main active ingredient is the polyphenol flavonoid oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPC) – OPCs are major free-radical scavengers / antioxidants

Catechins (flavonols)

High content in: 

• Green tea, green tea extract (Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG));  Lipton Green teabag contains 71mg EGCG;
• Unprocessed cocoa component of dark chocolate (epicatechin)

Dark chocolate -“Anti-inflammatory / Antidepressant”

Both their caffeine and polyphenol content increase energy levels – promote activity of the neurotransmitter NOREPINEPHRINE to increase metabolic rate, which burns/oxidizes fat.

Curcuminoids

• High content in turmeric – Curcumin is the main curcuminoid found in the rhyzome of turmeric (Curcuma longa) – a popular Indian spice and a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae); curcuminoids are natural phenols responsible for turmeric’s yellow color; turmeric root extract is ~4% curcumin.
• Curcumin shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect – but its mechanism is as yet unknown; has shown beneficial in IBS, Crohn’s disease and osteoarthritis; 4-month, 160 patient, double-blind study demonstrating anti- inflammatory effect in osteoarthritis of the knee;  In vitro study shows curcumin’s effect on certain inflammatory makers in IBD
• Supports cognitive function / memory – breaks down build-up of plaque (protein-clumps) on brain tissue which interrupts cell signaling. Also aids brain cell growth.
• Curcuminoids inhibit enzymes which participate in the synthesis of inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes (locally operating communication messengers derived from polyunsaturated fats) – the anti-inflammatory effect of curcumnoids has been found comparable to steroidal drugs, and such nonsteroidal drugs as indomethacin and phenylbutazone, but without the negative side-effects;
• Heating curcumin destroys many of its beneficial properties
• Curcumin must be in bioavailable form.    Typically used  as 95% standardized extract, but when refined curcumin extract is combined with a water-soluble substance called PVP and fat-soluble forms of vitamins A and C, it is made 136 times more bioavailable than standardized form.  Preferable to use 100% organic form. (Jager et al, 2014)
• Turmeric seen to kill H. Pylori.    Suspected of being the microbe responsible for hijacking cells and turning them cancerous.

Cinnamic acid

• High content in cinnamon.
• Active ingredient methylhydroxychalcone polymer (MHCP) – identified as the substance lowering the probability of getting type 2 diabetes in those eating apple pies. (Dr. Richard Anderson)
•  Having similar effects as INSULIN, MHCP stimulates glucose uptake and aids glycogen (storage form of glucose) synthesis – both helpful in blood sugar metabolism:

Ellagic Acid

High content in:

• Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, grapes, pomegranates, walnuts, pecans;

Lignans

Lignan precursors high in a wide variety of plant-based foods – including seeds (superlatively high amounts are found in flaxseeds, but not their oil), whole grains, legumes, fruit, and vegetables.

• Lignans enterodiol and enterolactone have weak estrogenic activity – may have a role in hormone-related cancers  (breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate), heart disease and osteoporosis (estrogen improves bone density); Oregon state article

Resveratrol