“Botanicals (PART 1) - Freeze Wellness ”

In our last blog post, we discussed botanicals and how those from Southeast Asia had similar properties to those found in North America. Those plant properties had mainly anti-inflammatory effects and were used for a range of diseases and illnesses including pain control, anticancer, immune support, heart health, insulin sensitivity, healthy digestion, and support of detoxification pathways.

For our discussion, we will refer to botanicals in a broad context that includes all plants and their related by-products such as fruits, vegetables, roots, herbs, and flowers. While a botanist may argue that botanicals are just the plant portions and not necessarily the other components, for our discussion we will include botanicals as being all-encompassing.

Botanicals are nature’s wonders and we can’t even scratch the surface of all the important phytochemicals that are unique to them. There is plenty of evidence that because each botanical has so many unique healing properties, the combination effects of several botanicals together could result in a synergistic effect and thus contribute to significant boosting of any healing properties. You will hear many natural clinicians talk about eating the “rainbow’ of plants, fruits, and vegetables that refers to the “bright colors” that may signal the unique type of phytochemical inherent to that botanical. For example, blueberries are blue because they have a very special antioxidant called Anthocyanin – which we will discuss shortly.

While it is our recommendation to eat the “rainbow” of botanicals every day for optimal health, it is not always possible. Therefore, it may be wise to supplement with botanicals to assist with an anti-inflammatory approach to healing and disease (as discussed in previous blog posts).

Below are 3 very important botanicals with a brief discussion of their properties and how they assist in healing and contributing to overall health. Next month, we will discuss a few more top contenders.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice that comes from Southern Asia and is used in many food dishes. Turmeric contains the phytochemical or (polyphenol) called Curcumin which is yellow in color. It is an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals (that damage DNA). This phytochemical may help prevent the formation of carcinogens, improve heart health increase blood flow, reduce joint pain, and reduce bad cholesterol. This spice is very anti-inflammatory with a lot of research behind it. Many Turmeric supplements are modified to give you Curcumin in large amounts. Many supplements also add in a synergistic product like a “pepper” compound that increases its potency.

Bioflavonoids

“Bioflavonoid” and “flavonoid” are one and the same and sometimes used interchangeably. They are botanical phytochemical with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Flavonoids are free radical scavengers. Free radicals are dangerous byproducts of metabolism that damage cell membranes causing inflammation and ultimately disease and illness. Exposure to toxins, environmental pollutants, smoking, alcohol, and sedentary lifestyles cause free radical damage to tissues and flavonoids can be beneficial as they can be anticancer, antioxidants, and antiviral.

Flavonoids are present in high amounts in the flowers, stems, leaves, seeds, or fruit of the following: onions, apples, dark chocolate(bean), grapes and red wine, citrus fruits, celery, parsley, kale, green tea, mint, and red peppers.

Vitamin C is often thought of as a bioflavonoid, however, it is really a powerful antioxidant that is found together in flavonoid products. While it is powerful, it is usually the synergistic properties Vitamin C has together with other phytochemicals found within the botanical product that produce the benefits

Anthocyanin’s

Anthocyanins are pigments found in plants that give them a rich red or blue color. They are often found in fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and grapes, and in red cabbage, eggplant, purple potatoes, and red wine. They belong to the flavonoids family of antioxidants which have anti-inflammatory properties. The phytochemicals in these deeply colored botanicals may also protect us from cancers, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases and illnesses.

It may be difficult for many of us to get these healthy nutrients in our diet. The nice thing is that these products all come in a supplement form. Fullscript has the following products that can be ordered online and drop-shipped right to your home.

Liposomal Fermented Turmeric by Codeage