According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and reported by Science Daily, Combining protein with antioxidants boosts immune cells’ anti-inflammatory activity. When bacteria, viruses, or other foreign creatures enter our bodies, our immune systems react by releasing white blood cells and chemical substances.
Inflammation develops from stress to tendons and muscles and is a feature of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Polyphenols, antioxidants, have been detected in plant-based diets, fruits and vegetables, and human bodies. This antioxidant class is commonly employed in the food sector to postpone oxidation and cover off-tastes. Polyphenols benefit people by reducing oxidative stress and the inflammation that commonly results.
“This work shows that combining a polyphenol with an amino acid improves the polyphenol’s anti-inflammatory capabilities. This lends credence to the notion that this combination may reduce human inflammation. The digging will proceed, at first, with the assistance of animals. Following that, we intend to raise funding to perform human impact studies,” Professor Marianne Nissen Lund of the Department of Food Science mentioned.
Researchers used simulated inflammation to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of polyphenols in conjunction with proteins. Polyphenols that interacted with an amino acid were given to specific cells, whereas polyphenols alone were given to others. A control group got no treatment in contrast. Polyphenols alone can reduce inflammation, but immune cells are twice as efficient when combined with amino acids.
“The identification of anti-inflammatory activity in cell research represents a significant advancement. Naturally, this has piqued our attention to the potential health consequences. As a result, we must proceed with animal investigations to discover repercussions.”
Andrew Williams, the study’s principal author and an associate professor in the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, is the institution’s chief animal scientist.
The same research team has previously established polyphenols’ attachment to proteins in dairy, soy, and alcoholic beverages. Another recent study looked into the molecular interactions in a milky coffee drink. Milk is high in protein, but coffee beans are high in polyphenols.
“According to our findings, the polyphenol-protein interaction occurs in several of the coffee-milk combinations we tested. Because of its rapid start, this response has proven unable to counteract in any of the dishes examined “, Marianne Nissen Lund said.
As a result, it is plausible to anticipate that the response and, maybe, the good anti-inflammatory effect can occur when various meals, including proteins and fruits or vegetables, are mixed, as was the case in the study. Polyphenols’ many benefits have been recognized by businesses and scholars alike. As a result, scientists are researching the best methods to include polyphenols in diets.
The following recent study discoveries have promise in these settings: Since humans do not absorb a lot of polyphenols, several researchers are working to find ways to enclose polyphenols in protein structures to make them more accessible. As a result, the anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenols are enhanced by this method.
