Friday Hope: Wonderful Alliums: Cardiovascular Benefits, Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms and Cancer Risk Reduction
A new review published Wednesday shows how these species hold great promise for heath – and prevention of Spike binding.
Nutraceutical benefits of Allium species.
I am very pleased to report on a review just hours after publication. Researchers in India Wednesday published a paper which details how Alliums offer great nutraceutical and therapeutic benefits for human health. We have long known that Garlic is a beneficial nutraceutical for fighting COVID. We can now extend those benefits to other members of the genus.
What the above means, is that garlic prevents the virus from taking its amino chain and breaking it up into useful protein to create new viruses. Think of it as not allowing molten steel to be formed into parts of a car frame. The molten steel alone is, obviously, quite useless to make a car.
Friday Hope: Garlic: More Than Just the Doherty Institute Study
https://wmcresearch.substack.com/p/friday-hope-garlic-more-than-just
For those readers who may not know, Garlic is a species of Allium. A genus which includes onions, leeks, shallots and other pungent plants.
Alliums are well-known for their diverse medicinal and therapeutic properties and have been a part of various medicinal systems for centuries. The genus Allium belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae of the order Asparagales. More than 920 species have been reported in the Allium genus, of which garlic (Allium sativum), onion (A. cepa and A. cepa var. aggregatum), leek (A. ampeloprasum), chive (A. schoenoprasum), Welsh onion (A. fistulosum), and shallot (A. ascalonicum), being some well-known and widely cultivated species.
These species are abundant with bioactive compounds.
Allium spp. contain several bioactive compounds that exhibit a range of health-promoting properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities (Table 1). Among the various Allium spp., garlic is rich in vitamins, enzymes, organosulfur compounds (OSCs), phenolic compounds etc. OSCs like allicin in garlic, and thiosulfinates (isoalliin) in onions, are associated with anticancer, cardiovascular, and antimicrobial effects (6, 7). Likewise, phenolic compounds such as flavonoids are abundant in Allium spp. Quercetin in onions is associated with antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, and cardiovascular benefits (8, 9). Alliums are also rich in non-structural carbohydrates like Fructans which acts as a prebiotics. For instance, onion contain 2.8% of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) whereas garlic contains 1.0% FOS (10). FOS aid in improving the gut health and enhancing mineral absorption, thereby supporting bone health and reducing atherosclerosis (11). Furthermore, garlic and onion are rich in minerals such as selenium (Se) that acts as a cofactor for various antioxidant enzymes (12). Although A. tuberosum has higher antioxidant activity in compared to A. sativum (13), it also protects against CCl4 induced liver injury (14). Meanwhile, consuming leek (A. ampeloprasum) can help reduce the risks of hypercholesterolemia, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, and platelet aggregation there by preventing cardiovascular diseases (15). Similarly, Alliums are rich in vitamins such as Vitamin C, K, B12 etc., which enhances the immune system.
If we look at the benefits of Alliums, we observe that they directly ameliorate many of the detrimental effects the Spike protein induces in the body.
CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFITS/ANTI-CLOTTING/ANTI-ROS
Key bioactive compounds in Allium spp. such as allicin, flavonoids, and polysulfides in garlic, and quercetin and thiosulfinates in onion contribute to these effects (22, 23). The bioactive compounds in garlic reduces platelet aggregation by inhibiting calcium mobilization (24, 25) and promote fibrinolysis, which aids in dissolution of clots (26). Moreover, these bioactive compounds also scavenges ROS, thereby preventing LDL oxidation.
ANTI-CANCER/PROMOTING DNA REPAIR
At early stages of cancer initiation, the bioactive compounds of garlic act as potent antioxidants by scavenging the ROS, promoting detoxification, and aid in DNA repair. This will reduce oxidative stress and suppress the production of tumor-promoting agents like 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Activating the p53 pathway, allicin could arrest the cell cycle and death in breast cancer cells.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
Moreover, the vitamin C and flavonoids in A. fistulosum play a vital role in mitigating inflammatory responses caused by oxidative stress there by reducing inflammation and enhancing body’s defense mechanism (79). The in vivo evaluation using a turpentine oil-induced inflammation model in rats has shown that the Allium schoenoprasum leaf extract of has inhibitory activity on phagocytosis and oxidative stress.
Harnessing the nutraceutical and therapeutic potential of Allium spp.: current insights and future directions
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1497953/full
Furthermore, there is evidence that the flavonoid compounds found in Onions inhibit the Spike Protein from binding to ACE2 receptors.
This study used spectroflourometric analysis to determine the inhibitory activity of Spike protein by quercetin against the ACE2 receptor.
The results of this analysis can be proven by the relative fluorescent units (RFU) of protein S in SARS-CoV-2 which will be higher than that of RFU protein S that has been incubated with quercetin to form a protein complex. This is an indicator of the successful inhibition of spike protein activity by quercetin.
Utilization of quercetin flavonoid compounds in onion (Allium cepa L.) as an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein against ACE2 receptors
https://pubs.aip.org/aip/acp/article-abstract/2738/1/040029/2894283/Utilization-of-quercetin-flavonoid-compounds-in?redirectedFrom=fulltext
I am definitely inclined to create a recipe which uses Garlic, Onions and Broccoli in a sauce for a beautiful piece of Halibut. I will keep you posted!
It is seasonably chilly – but gorgeously sunny day here in northern Vermont. I will be directing our annual Vermont State Open (Chess) starting this evening at the University of Vermont. If you are in the area, and wish to play a USCF tournament, please feel free to join.
Homeopathic remedies have been used for these benefits. Allium cepa (onion). I have a list of 72 different uses of homeopathic remedies, in my "medicine" cabinet. They are so effective and inexpensive, as well as available to the lay person that the regulatory body of the government (FDA) would like to limit or ban their use. No surprise. Check it out!
Have a good time at the tournament Walter! And thank you for sharing your research.
Much appreciated sir! 🙏