Natural Health Products Flashcards
What is traditional medicine?
“the health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being”
What is Complementary and Alternative medicine?
“a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine”
- refers to alternative to conventional medicine
What are natural health products?
- vitamins and minerals
- herbal remedies
- homeopathic medicines
- traditional medicines such as traditional Chinese medicine
- probiotics
- other products like essential amino acids and fatty acids
What are the benefits of probiotics?
- Improve gastrointestinal function
- Cholesterol reduction
- Hypertension reduction
What is a functional food?
is similar in appearance to or may be a conventional food, is consumed as part of a usual diet, and is demonstrated to have physiological benefits and/or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions.
- foods that are thought or known to have special health benefits above and beyond the basic nutritional value of regular food
- may contain naturally occurring biologically active substances
What is the mechanism of action of natural food products in terms of CVD risk?
- Anti-oxidation (of lipids)
- Hyperlipidemia reduction
- Metabolic Syndrome Modulation
- Weight loss
- Anti-inflammatory Capacity Increase
- Hypertension reduction
- Anti-platelet activity
- Post-menopausal estrogen increase
Give examples for Antioxidant Phytochemicals
- alpha-Tocopherol (vitamin E)
- Carotenoids
- Ascorbic acid (vitaminC)
- Phenolics
- simple phenolics
- flavonoids
- tannins
What are the steps of the reaction that garlic compound goes through?
alliin is converted to allicin with an enzyme called alliin lyase = alliinase
then allicin in converted to Diallyl disulphide
What are some benefits of garlic?
• Cardiovascular – hyperlipidemia – atherosclerosis – hypertension – peripheral arterial occlusive disease • Hematology – inhibits platelet aggregation • Chemopreventive – colon and stomach cancer • Antimicrobial
What is the mechanism of action of β-sitosterol (a phytosterol)?
- Inhibit cholesterol absorption
- inhibit incorporation of cholesterol into micelles
Where is β-sitosterol (a phytosterol) found?
- Found in many plants
(eg. nuts, plant oils) - C29H50O, a modified triterpene
What are the Potential Mechanisms of Action of Antidiabetic Phytochemicals?
- Delaygastricemptying
- Reduce absorption of carbohydrates
- Increase pancreatic insulin secretion
- Insulin replacement
- Insulinometic agents
- Reduce hepatic glucose output
- Increase insulin sensitivity
- Weight loss
- Alter renal glucose handling
What are some Dietary Supplements with Weight Loss Reputations?
- Garciniacambogia
- Chromiumpicolinate
- Ephedra(mahuang)
- Caffeine
- Greentea
- Hoodia
- Green coffee bean extract
- Glucomanan
- Diuretics and laxatives
What are the Weight Loss Mechanisms?
• Increase Satiety(AlterEnergyIntake) • Increase fat oxidation or reduce fat synthesis • Increase Energy Expenditure • Modulate carbohydrate metabolism • Block dietary fat absorption • Increase water elimination • Other
What are some Potential Mechanisms of Anticarcinogenic Activity?
- Antioxidation
- Bind with bile acids and other potential carcinogens
- Detoxication
- Anti hormone function
- Potentiation of immune response
- Cell signalling pathway
