How Can Japanese Knotweed Help the Brain?

Dr. Jain, M.D. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:51:26 +0000

When plants come under attack from bacteria or fungi, they do something very similar to what animals, including human beings, do when confronted with famine: activate a system of protective molecules known as sirtuins. The sirtuins act through complex molecular cascades to increase the lifespan of cells. In 2003, researchers at Harvard Medical School used a molecular screen to identify compounds that could activate the sirtuins – even in the absence of threat or famine – theoretically providing the possibility of extending lifespan, or reducing disease, in humans (Howitz et al., Nature) Many compounds that activate sirtuin are found naturally in vegetables and fruits such as raw spinach, jalapeno peppers, and rowanberries. Resveratrol, the most famous of the sirtuin activators, increased their activity an astounding 15 times. Resveratrol is famously found in red wine, but perhaps surprisingly, is also enriched in Japanese knotweed. Knotweed, many a gardener’s bane, was thought to be essentially worthless, but now provides the major source of resveratrol that is sold in nutritional supplements. Despite the hype, there is one important potential caveat: the sirtuins decrease the activity of p53, an anti-cancer protein. Although tumorigenic effects have not been observed in mice or clinical trials in humans, whether or not this actually might have clinical relevance is yet to be determined.

Brain Nutrition Facts » Japanese knotweed

How Can Japanese Knotweed Help the Brain?