Detoxification effects of phytonutrients against environmental toxicants and sharing of clinical experience on practical applications

Abstract

According to the Food and Health Bureau and Trade and Industry Department of the Hong Kong Government, 90 % of the total food supply in Hong Kong was imported from the Mainland China. In addition, the hidden or illegal use of prohibited pesticides, food adulteration (e.g., using industrial salt in food processing, using gutter oil as cooking oil), and pollutions were periodically reported by the media. Excessive exposure to toxic heavy metals or persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from diet or environmental is inevitable amid industrialization and pollution. Understanding of the detoxification ability among nutrients in plant-based food (i.e., phytonutrients in green tea, onion, garlic, coriander, and turmeric) offers therapeutic and preventive effects against the poisoning effects due to these pollutants. Oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory actions are the common mechanisms for heavy metals or POPs toxicities, while phytonutrients counteracts these cellular insults by anti-oxidation, upregulation of anti-inflammatory pathways, and chelation.

Effects of a Lifestyle Change Intervention on Semen Quality in Healthy Young Men Living in Highly Polluted Areas in Italy: The FASt Randomized Controlled Trial

“…The potential impact of environmental pollution on semen quality represents the reason why this study enrolled participants living in highly polluted areas: according to literature, residents in more polluted areas have worse health parameters, including semen quality, on average, than those living in less polluted areas [3,5] and therefore might be expected to achieve better results from a lifestyle intervention. Moreover, it has been suggested that the activity of various phytochemical compounds, which the Mediterranean diet is rich in may counteract the negative effects of environmental pollutants [26,27].…”

Mediterranean Diet as a Shield against Male Infertility and Cancer Risk Induced by Environmental Pollutants: A Focus on Flavonoids

“…Overall, the currently available data are providing a rationale for the possible use of natural polyphenols as nutraceuticals to counteract aging and combat many associated diseases [49]. In fact, various phytochemical compounds found in plant foods can prevent or counteract the harmful effects of environmental pollutants, through a number of mechanisms including reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, chelation of toxic metals, anti-inflammation, epigenetic up-regulation of detoxifying genes or enzymes, and other [50][51][52][53][54][55][56]. Some systematic reviews found that diets rich in fish, shellfish and seafood, poultry, cereals, vegetables and fruits, low-fat dairy and skim milk were positively associated with sperm quality parameters [57,58].…”

“…Therefore, rather than a specific effect, improved reproductive health may reflect a better health status associated with a healthier dietary style, higher intakes of nutrients, antioxidants and other bioactive compounds, as well as lower intakes of undesirable substances (i.e., nitrates and cadmium from fertilizers, pesticides, fertilizers, pollutants and their metabolites) [68,71,[75][76][77][78][79][80][81]. Therefore, cultivation methods influence the potential of foods to counteract the oxidative stress and epigenetic alterations induced by environmental contaminants [51][52][53][54][55][56][57][82][83][84][85][86].…”

Epigallocatechin Gallate for Management of Heavy Metal-Induced Oxidative Stress: Mechanisms of Action, Efficacy, and Concerns

“…Such combination therapy (chelator and antioxidant) has been suggested to increase toxic metal mobilization and excretion and reduce oxidative stress markers [ 29 , 31 ]. Different natural antioxidant-rich food products have been proposed to be included in a daily diet as a safe and cheap way of blocking the adverse effects of HMs on the human body [ 20 , 33 , 34 ]. They include edible plants like garlic ( Alium sativum ), onion, broccoli, coriander, Ginkgo biloba , and green tea ( Camellia sinensis ) [ 15 , 20 , 35 ].…”

“…Different natural antioxidant-rich food products have been proposed to be included in a daily diet as a safe and cheap way of blocking the adverse effects of HMs on the human body [ 20 , 33 , 34 ]. They include edible plants like garlic ( Alium sativum ), onion, broccoli, coriander, Ginkgo biloba , and green tea ( Camellia sinensis ) [ 15 , 20 , 35 ]. Among them, green tea receives significant attention in this regard.…”