Posted on 12/21/2024 9:11:19 AM PST by ConservativeMind
Allergic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, and food allergies have been increasing in frequency over the last few years.
They are typically caused by the immune system being hypersensitive to harmless substances in foods and the environment. Flavonoids are chemicals present in various fruits and vegetables that are known to have anti-allergic effects and show promise as natural allergic treatments.
To better understand how these allergies can be treated, let's look at an interesting anti-allergic mechanism in our cells. In the intestines, specialized dendritic cells (DCs) produce an enzyme called RALDH2 (retinaldehyde dehydrogenase 2) which converts retinal, a chemical derived from vitamin A, to retinoic acid.
This retinoic acid then promotes the development of regulatory T-cells, a type of immune cell that can suppress the immune response observed in allergies.
This was the question answered by a group of researchers.
In their study, the authors screened around 40 different flavonoids to see if they increased RALDH2 levels in DCs. The most effective of these was a compound called kaempferol.
Kaempferol is found in a variety of foods such as kale, beans, tea, spinach, and broccoli. It is also one of the most heavily studied flavonoids due to its beneficial effects on the human body. The researchers observed that kaempferol treatment increased the expression and efficiency of RALDH2 in DCs. Additionally, the kaempferol-treated DCs were found to promote regulatory T-cell development, underscoring its role in controlling the immune response.
To see how kaempferol affected immune responses in living organisms, the researchers induced allergies in mice using the OVA (ovalbumin) protein found in egg whites. They found that administering kaempferol to these mice alleviated their allergic symptoms.
These results indicate that kaempferol is a very promising natural treatment for food allergies.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
It is also found in some supplements.
May be worth a try.
If more people recognized that “GRAS” is BS, perhaps the rise in allergic response would abate in conjunction with reduction in ingestion of toxic substances...
...as opposed to adding YET ANOTHER supplement to attempt to counteract a toxic reaction. /s
Harmless, snort. Bring on RFK.
Trying to be more food conscious. We had a very old not dated frozen spinach for dinner last night and was the best EVER! That was the last so need to stock up. Have frozen broccoli, dried beans and teas.
I always enjoyed Bert Kaempferol’s music.
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