Anthocyanin and Glucosinolate Nutrients

Abstract

ANTHOCYANIN AND GLUCOSINOLATE NUTRIENTS: AN EXPLORATION OF THE MOLECULAR BASIS AND IMPACT OF COLORFUL PHYTOCHEMICALS ON HUMAN HEALTH Abstract: Can eating food of an assortment of colors help one stay healthy? In this study, a randomized con- trolled trial helped evaluate the impact of a colorful diet on 8 healthy human adults (age 20-60) with similar demographic and dietary backgrounds. One of the daily meals of the volunteers was substituted with a hand- picked ration consisting of all colors of the rainbow in the form of a Rainbow Diet Pack (RDP). Fruits and vegeta- bles were chosen based on the exclusive molecular structure and chemical composition of the most prevalent phytonutrient(s) in each. RDP was administered daily to the intervention group (n=5) over a 10-wk interven- tion period. Weight loss, waist circumference, hand grip strength, and stress levels were measured. Analyses re- vealed that eating raspberries, oranges, carrots, broccoli, blueberries, and bananas balanced stress levels and led to weight loss, but did not impact hand-grip strength, demonstrating the healthy outcomes of a colorful diet.. BY AKSHARA SREE CHALLA 1 AND JNANA ADITYA CHALLA 2 LAYOUT OUT BY ANNALISE KAMEGAWA, EDNA STEWART, CAMERON MANDLEY, JENNY KIM INTRODUCTION The idea that one should be eating healthy to stay healthy is not a debate. Numerous studies show how particular foods indi- vidualistically effect human health, but none thus far, to our knowledge, have investigated about the combined impact of a specific diet on the human body as a whole. 1-5 It is critical for us to understand which kinds of things we should eat and the ways in which their collective consumption will impact our bodies. According to Dr. Thomas J. Carlson, a distinguished pediatrician and ethnobotany researcher, choosing foods from every color in the rainbow is the key to good health. 6 Each fruit and vegeta- ble gets its natural color from the chemical composition of the exclusive phytonutrient(s) in it. 19 Interestingly, the presence of one molecule in one fruit/ vegetable does not necessarily reflect the same color in anoth- er type of fresh produce. For instance, although the rich red color in most red fruits and vegetables is naturally derived from the phytonutrient lycopene, most berries such as strawberries and raspberries do not contain lycopene. Instead, they contain brightly colored chemicals called anthocyanins, which are made in plants during ripening season through the joining of a mole- cule of a sugar with a molecule of their colorless “anthocyanidin” precursors. 7 Anthocyanins are also found in raspberries, which are high in dietary fiber and vitamin C and have a low glycemic index because they contain 6% fiber and only 4% sugar per total weight. 8 Higher quantities of fiber in the fruit, when consumed, helps lower the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or the ‘unhealthy’ cholesterol to enhance the functionality of our heart and potentially induce weight loss. The exact pigment that anthocyanins reflect is partly dependent on the variance in acidity or alkalinity in differ- ent plants. Because of the relatively high pH of the tissues in blueberry plants, these chemicals turn blue in color during the ripening process of the fruit. 7 Recent research in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that the abundant antioxidant properties in wild blueberries contributes to the reduction in the development of such disorders as Alzheimer’s Dementia and cognitive loss. 9 A type of antioxidants selectively found in yellow and orange colored foods are called cryptoxanthins. In a study conducted by Bovier et al., it is shown that the combination of the beta form of these carotenoids with other sources of nutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin in carrots, oranges, and corn leads to improved visual processing speed with regular consumption in young healthy subjects. 10, 18 FALL 2016 | Berkeley Scientific Journal