Chapter One Flashcards
What are the key functions of dopamine?
Plays a key role in pleasure, reward, motivation, learning, working memory, and cognition. Dopamine is made from tyrosine.
What nutrients are required for neurotransmitter biosynthesis?
A whole host of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids are required for the biosynthesis and healthy function of neurotransmitters that influence mood, memory, and cognition.
How do levels of spices consumed relate to their health benefits?
The quantity of an item consumed does not dictate its importance.
What is the foundation of an anti-inflammatory diet?
The foundation of an anti-inflammatory diet is fruits and vegetables, and 50 to 60 percent of your plate should be loaded with these colorful plant-based foods.
What is oxidative stress?
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of oxidants and the occurrence of antioxidant defenses, though a more modern definition describes it as a disruption of redox signaling and control.
What is the role of free fatty acids?
Free fatty acids are not only essential nutritional compounds but also modulators of many cellular functions through their receptors.
How can herbs exert their effects?
By biomolecular effects, measurable or observable changes (biomarkers) that occur in cells, animals, and human subjects, or by clinical effects, the outcome of the biomolecular effects in terms of human health preservation and restoration.
What are the challenges to standardization of herbs in botanical extracts?
The challenges are the separation and identification of active constituents. The composition of the total botanical extract must be standardized and free of any potential hazards, and plants should be grown specifically for the production of botanical extracts under controlled conditions and originate from a characterized and uniform genetic source.
What are the three types of biomarkers needed to evaluate the effects of spices in cancer prevention and therapy?
Exposure, effect, and susceptibility.
What is the role of hydrogen peroxide in the body?
Hydrogen peroxide is probably the most important redox-signaling molecule that can activate nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), NF-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), and other universal transcription factors, and that is involved in the redox regulation of insulin and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling.
