Copyright © 2009
by Daniel Matthew Korn

All Rights Reserved

Until now we have treated fruits and vegetables as a single class of foods in their ability to lower weight and influence health. In fact, individual species of plants have a wide range of abilities to affect health. These qualities are attributed not only to micronutrients like vitamins and minerals, but also to phytochemicals like flavonoids. We have seen that many prescription drugs can raise body weight by affecting hunger. As of 2008, over half of prescription drugs were “derived from chemicals first identified in plants.”¹ Most plant chemicals, called phytochemicals, are not known to affect human health. However, the reason fruits and vegetables cause weight loss is believed to be because of plant chemicals that do affect us. While today we study the effects of specific plant chemicals on the body, people have studied medicinal and poisonous plants for thousands of years.

The use of plants as medicine has become much less common in the Western world in the last one hundred years. Many medicinal plants were formerly used as food flavoring, but they have been increasingly replaced by artificial flavorings in the Western diet. Herbs and spices are still used as medicines in many countries such as China, Japan and Thailand. In some countries in Asia and Africa, 80% of the population has access to only traditional medicine.² Until recently there have been few scientific studies on the effectiveness of medicinal plants, but that is starting to change. Let us compare traditional health claims and modern research performed on these plants.

Tea is perhaps the best known plant used in traditional medicine. Tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,700 years as well as in many other countries.³ In China, tea was believed to help many conditions including skin rashes and allergies. Practitioners of ancient Chinese medicine believed there were warm and cold forces inside the body. They blamed an excess of heat in the body for conditions like allergies and skin rashes. Treatments for such conditions were known as “cooling.” Now some of these cooling herbs are being viewed as natural anti-inflammatories. One study examining this theory had 121 patients with recalcitrant atopic dermatitis, hard to treat skin rashes that were not responding to drugs, drink a liter of oolong tea a day for a month. Oolong is a form of tea that is processed less than black tea but more than green. After one month, the skin of close to 78% of the patients had improved to some extent. More than half of them had improved moderately or significantly, a result the authors attributed to the tea’s ability to suppress certain allergic reactions.⁴ White tea has been found to reduce a type of inflammation that causes certain forms of arthritis, cancer, and skin wrinkles.⁵ In traditional Chinese medicine, white tea was also believed to reduce hunger and promote relaxation. Modern experiments have shown that a phytochemical in white tea signals mature fat cells to mobilize stored fat.⁶

Basil is a culinary herb often associated with Italian and Asian cooking. In Indian traditional medicine it was used to treat stress and respiratory problems. In Siddha medicine, practiced in part of India, it was used to treat skin problems. According to Jewish tradition, consuming basil before fasting reduces hunger. While basil’s effect on hunger has not been widely studied, it has been found to help lower high blood sugar, which is a symptom of insulin resistance. Basil has been suggested as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. Modern medicine has discovered that basil is a profound anti-inflammatory. One experiment found that an extract from basil could reduce the swelling and inflammation present in arthritis by up to 73% after only one day of treatment. This is an improvement comparable to that obtained with leading prescription arthritis drugs but without the side effects.^{7, 8}

The use of cinnamon as a medicine and a spice is at least as old as the use of tea. It is mentioned in one of the first Chinese medicine books, was used in ancient Egypt, and is mentioned in the Bible. It was one of the first commodities traded between the Near East and Europe.⁹ It was used not only as a spice, but also by the Romans to treat cold and influenza symptoms, by the Chinese to treat asthma and fever, and in Israel to treat indigestion. Until the nineteenth century, American doctors used cinnamon to treat cramps, vomiting, colic, and diarrhea.¹⁰ It then fell out of favor with Western medicine, but it is now receiving a second look. Recent studies have shown that cinnamon is both an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant which lowers cholesterol, improves blood sugar control, and reduces symptoms of arthritis.¹¹ Cinnamon has been known as an appetite suppressant in both modern and ancient times, possibly due to its ability to improve blood sugar control.

Ginger has been known since ancient times to reduce both inflammation and appetite. It has been used as a spice and a medicine for at least three thousand years, including in the Greek and Roman Empires. It was mentioned by Confucius and in the Koran. Medieval Europeans believed it was from the Garden of Eden. The first American settlers used it as a spice and to make beer. Ginger ale is still sold widely in the United States. However, most commercial ginger ales have very little ginger. Natural ginger ales made with fresh ginger are still used to aid digestion,¹² but excess amounts have been known to cause stomach upset and it should be used with care. Numerous scientific studies have confirmed the effectiveness of ginger for the prevention of nausea, dizziness, and other gastrointestinal problems.¹³ Modern medicine has also confirmed that ginger is a potent anti-inflammatory.¹⁴ In 2006, laboratory studies found that the active ingredient in ginger can kill certain types of cancer cells.¹⁵ Studies have also shown that ginger can significantly slow the growth of certain cancerous tumors in mice.¹⁶ The results of research on the effect of ginger on cancer in humans are not yet available.

Turmeric has been cultivated for at least five thousand years. Today it is widely known as a component of curry, but it has been present in Europe at least since medieval times and is still an ingredient in traditional mustards. It has been used for thousands of years in Chinese and Indian medicine to treat pain and inflammation and is known to reduce appetite. Modern studies have shown turmeric is as potent an anti-inflammatory as prescription drugs like hydrocortisone and phenylbutazone, with one important difference. Turmeric has no toxic side effects. Modern studies on humans have also confirmed it is an effective treatment for inflammatory bowel disease, improves the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, and lowers cholesterol. Animal studies have suggested that it can slow the growth of cancerous cells¹⁷ and has anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects.¹⁸

Oregano was first widely cultivated in classical Greece and is used in Greek cuisine to this day. Oregano is antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. It was used in traditional medicine as a sleep aid and for relaxation and was known to reduce hunger. Hippocrates, who is considered the father of medicine, used oregano to treat stomach and respiratory conditions. In modern times, oregano has been found to be more effective than many commonly used antibiotics in treating at least one type of drug resistant bacterial infection.¹⁹ In 2008, one study found evidence that oregano could be useful for weight reduction and in the treatment of atherosclerosis.²⁰ However, as of 2009 very few studies have been performed.

This is, of course, nowhere near a complete list of plants with medicinal value. Ginseng, echinacea, ginkgo biloba, and jasmine are a few more of the many herbs and spices used in traditional medicine and cooking which are being investigated as anti-inflammatories, sleep aids, or weight loss aids. To catalog all of the herbs and spices used in traditional medicine through history and the modern study of their health benefits would take a whole book if not several. The question for us to answer is not which herbs and spices have health benefits but why they do.

All animals are able to eat a healthful diet in nature. Carnivores do not try to eat plants and herbivores do not try to eat meat. Some of this behavior is instinctive, but it also relies on the senses of taste and smell. Animals do not eat rotten or other inappropriate foods because such foods do not smell or taste good. Humans, like others animals, are able to taste and smell the foods which are healthful for us in nature. We can tell when meats, fruits, and vegetables have begun to spoil. We can taste that certain plants are food while dirt and other plants are not. We may also be able to taste and smell something that indicates the presence of healthful plant chemicals.

Herbs and spices have a much more intense taste than fruits and vegetables. It is not a coincidence that foods with an intense smell and taste should have greater health benefits. After all, the senses of smell and taste exist largely to help animals find and select food. Herbs and spices deliver the same types of anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity benefits as fruits and vegetables, simply much more. The more intense taste seems to correspond to the higher concentration of beneficial phytochemicals. It is so strong that herbs and spices are rarely eaten by themselves. They are normally used in small quantities in combination with otherwise bland foods. Grains such as wheat and rice are very bland when they are not flavored or eaten with something flavorful. Our ancestors used herbs and spices with many different foods to add flavor; they did not have artificial flavorings such as we use on our foods.

Today we are tricking our senses of taste and smell that exist to help us find healthful food. We use artificial chemicals, some of which are “almost identical” to those found in nature, to create different tastes. Many food companies hire “flavorists” to mix chemicals that our bodies recognize as certain flavors. The tastes of many processed foods, restaurant meals, and pre-made sauces and condiments come from these chemical combinations. One commonly used additive, monosodium glutamate (MSG), is a chemical component of certain plants; it has long been known by scientists to cause weight gain when injected into rats. The first study done on weight gain and MSG consumption in people has recently been performed in China. It has found that the heaviest users of MSG as a food additive are three times as likely to be overweight as non-users of MSG.²¹ In studies on mice, adding artificial sweetener to their food has caused weight gain as well.²² Furthermore, by substituting artificial for natural flavorings we are depriving ourselves of the health benefits of many natural phytochemicals.

Scientists have isolated many of the phytochemicals that produce health benefits. Those in the most widely known class are called flavonoids, and the most famous flavonoid is called resveratrol. This is a compound of red wine that was formerly suspected of being responsible for the French Paradox of low obesity along with high fat and alcohol consumption. It has since been discovered that there is not enough resveratrol in the French diet for it to be the explanation. Resveratrol and other flavonoids are found in a wide variety of plants. The richest source of resveratrol, which is used to create supplements, is not grapes. It is a plant called knotweed, which is used in traditional Asian medicine. In laboratory experiments, resveratrol has been shown to extend the life spans of different species of animals up to 40%, prevent symptoms of multiple inflammatory diseases associated with obesity, prevent obesity, cause fat loss, and double physical endurance. In humans, resveratrol has been shown to lower blood sugar, stop fat cells from maturing, and interfere with fat storage.²³ Users of resveratrol supplements have also claimed that it causes weight loss, increases energy, reduces stress, and improves their quality of sleep. Scientists hope to market a modified form of resveratrol as a weight loss drug.^{24, 25}

It has recently been discovered that resveratrol is not the only plant chemical that can extend the life spans of animals and reduce body weight. At least two other flavonoids have similar effects.²⁶ Interestingly, greater overall flavonoid intake has been linked to reduced heart disease. This is despite the fact that very little resveratrol and other flavonoids enter our bloodstream. The small amounts that do are treated as foreign invaders by our bodies and are discarded. The one place we know flavonoids have a benefit is in our digestive tract, where we have beneficial bacteria that help break these phytochemicals down before they can enter our bloodstream. The flavonoids are actually food for the healthful bacteria in our digestive tract and help us grow more of these bacteria.

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Citations:

³ "Tea - traditional medicine." Plant Cultures. 11/13/2009 http://www.plantcultures.org/plants/tea_traditional_medicine.html.

⁴ M. Uehara, H. Sugiura, and K. Sakurai. "A trial of oolong tea in the management of recalcitrant atopic dermatitis." PubMed. 11/13/2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11176659?dopt=Abstract>.

⁵ "White Tea Could Keep You Healthy And Looking Young." ScienceDaily. 11/13/2009 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810085312.htm.

⁶ "White Tea: Solution To Obesity Epidemic?" ScienceDaily. 11/13/2009 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430194803.htm.

⁷ "Basil Plants Have Anti-Arthritic Properties." Medical News TODAY. 11/13/2009 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/163158.php.

⁸ Anastasia Stephens. "How eating fresh basil can help banish arthritic aches and pains." MailOnline. 11/13/2009 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1216278/How-eating-fresh-basil-help-banish-arthritic-aches-pains.html.

⁹ "Cinnamon, ground." World’s Healthiest Foods. 11/13/2009 http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=68.

¹⁰ Jennifer Wurges. "Cinnamon bark." CBS Interactive. 11/13/2009 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2603/is_0000/ai_2603000034.

¹¹"Cinnamon, Cloves Improve Insulin Function, Lower Risk Factors For Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease." Medical News TODAY. 11/13/2009 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/41026.php.

¹² "Ginger." Innvista. 11/13/2009 http://www.innvista.com/health/herbs/ginger.htm.

¹³ C. Langner, S. Greifenberg, and J. Gruenwald. "Ginger: history and use." PubMed. 11/13/2009http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10178636.

¹⁴ "Ginger has painkilling properties: research." ABC. 11/13/2009 http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/health/HealthRepublish_433324.htm.

¹⁵ "Ginger Kills Ovarian Cancer Cells." Medical News TODAY. 11/13/2009 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/41747.php .

¹⁶ "Ginger 'could halt bowel cancer.'" BBC News. 11/13/2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3221547.stm.

¹⁷ "Turmeric." World's Healthiest Foods. 11/13/2009 http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78.

¹⁸ "Fat Tissue Growth In Rodent Models Suppressed By Turmeric Extract." Medical News TODAY. 11/13/2009 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150626.php .

¹⁹ "Himalayan Oregano Effective Against MRSA." Medical News TODAY. 11/13/2009 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/130620.php .

²⁰ Monica Mueller and others. "Oregano: A Source for Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Antagonists." American Chemical Society Publications. 11/13/2009 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf802298w.

²¹ "MSG Use Linked To Obesity." Medical News TODAY. 6/04/2009 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/118202.php.

²² David Gutierrez. "Artificial Sweeteners Cause Weight Gain." Natural News. 6/04/2009 http://www.naturalnews.com/023961_sweeteners_artificial_sweeteners_saccharin.html.

²³ "Fountain Of Youth In A Wine Rx?" CBS News. 12/17/2009 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/25/60minutes/main4752082_page4.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody .

²⁴ Fiona Macrae. "The red wine weight loss wonder drug that lets you eat junk food." MailOnline. 12/17/2009 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1083047/The-red-wine-weight-loss-wonder-drug-lets-eat-junk-food.html.

²⁵ "Resveratrol dramatically increases animal lifespan." World Healh. 12/17/2009 http://www.worldhealth.net/news/resveratrol_dramatically_increases_anima/www.a5m.net.

²⁶ Stephen Daniells. "Lifelong prebiotic supplements may enhance survival: rat study." Decision News Media. 12/17/2009 http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Lifelong-prebiotic-supplements-may-enhance-survival-rat-study .