Moringa
Episodes
Dr. Rhonda Patrick explores iodine supplementation, choline & TMAO, curcumin safety, and red yeast rice in her latest Q&A.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick explores melatonin's antioxidant properties, curcumin supplementation, antinutrients, and SARMs in her latest Q&A.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Curcumin Resveratrol Sulforaphane Sauna Berberine Polyphenol Carotenoids Moringa Supplements SteviaDr. Rhonda Patrick explores iodine supplementation, choline & TMAO, curcumin safety, and red yeast rice in her latest Q&A.
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Dr. Rhonda Patrick explores melatonin's antioxidant properties, curcumin supplementation, antinutrients, and SARMs in her latest Q&A.
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Rhonda Vitamin D Exercise Brain Alzheimer's Parkinson's Cancer Microbiome Cholesterol Omega-3 Skin Sulforaphane Protein NAD+ Moringa Blood-Brain Barrier CocoaDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Ketosis Heart Disease Omega-3 Fasting Pregnancy Eyes Muscle Sauna Protein Dairy Intestinal Permeability Brown Fat Moringa SupplementsDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Aging Breast Cancer Omega-3 Probiotics Coffee Vitamin B12 Vaccine Vitamin K Skin Sulforaphane Sauna Time-Restricted Eating Protein COVID-19 NAD+ Moringa SupplementsDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Vitamin D Aging Omega-3 Fasting Immune System Antioxidant Protein COVID-19 Moringa Supplements Ketogenic DietDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Exercise Aging Sleep Telomeres Vitamin C Cholesterol Omega-3 DNA Damage Fasting Coffee Magnesium Eyes Calcium Time-Restricted Eating Breast Milk Moringa LactateDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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In this clip, Dr. Jed Fahey describes the best way to store broccoli sprouts.
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In this clip, Dr. Jed Fahey discusses the beneficial health effects of moringa.
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A special two-hour Q&A with Dr. Jed Fahey, an expert on sulforaphane, chemoprotection, and phytochemicals.
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Dr. Jed Fahey describes the health benefits associated with moringin and discusses the chemical structure differences between it and sulforaphane.
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Sulforaphane Nutrition Brain Diet Nootropics Inflammation Heat Stress Autism Isothiocyanates NRF2 Moringa SupplementsDr. Jed W. Fahey discusses the health benefits of isothiocyanates, including sulforaphane and moringa.
Topic Pages
News & Publications
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Antioxidant-rich moringa and amaranth leaf powders decrease oxidative stress and improve metabolic health. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
During the process of menopause, the ovaries produce less estrogen, leading to several physiological changes that include the end of reproductive life. Lower estrogen levels in post-menopausal females may decrease the body’s antioxidant enzymes because estrogen has known antioxidant properties. In a recent report, a group of researchers tested the effects of drumstick (Moringa oleifera) and amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor) leaf supplements on antioxidant capacity in post-menopausal females.
Much of the bodily damage that comes with aging is caused by oxygen radicals, but many foods and supplements contain antioxidant compounds that protect the body. Drumstick leaves contain a number of antioxidant compounds including the isothiocyanate called moringin, which is similar to sulforaphane found in some cruciferous vegetables. Amaranth leaves contain a number of antioxidant compounds as well as other beneficial nutrients, such as magnesium, folic acid, and dietary fiber.
The investigators enrolled 90 post-menopausal females and allocated them to one of three groups. One group received 7 grams of drumstick leaf powder for three months, another received 9 grams of amaranth leaf powder for three months, and the third group received no intervention. The investigators measured antioxidant enzymes, glucose, and malondialdehyde, a marker of oxidative stress, in the participants’s blood.
The authors found that the drumstick leaf and amaranth leaf powders increased retinol by 9 percent and 5 percent (respectively) and increased vitamin C by 44 percent and 6 percent (respectively). The drumstick leaf and amaranth leaf powders decreased malondialdehyde by 16 percent and 10 percent (respectively) and decreased fasting glucose levels by 14 percent and 10 percent (respectively).
These results suggest that drumstick and amaranth leaf supplements improve antioxidant capacity and reduce oxidative stress in postmenopausal females while also improving metabolic health.
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A pilot trial finds sulforaphane treatment increases glutathione levels in the brain. www.karger.com
Cellular damage incurred by oxidative stress underlies the pathophysiology of many chronic health disorders, including neuropsychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia. Glutathione, an antioxidant compound produced by the body’s cells, helps prevent damage from oxidative stress. Evidence from a 2018 study suggests that sulforaphane increases glutathione in the brain.
Scientists typically rely on magnetic resonance spectrometry (MRS) for measuring glutathione levels in brain tissue. Evidence suggests MRS is inadequate, however, and often yields inconsistent results across studies. These inconsistencies have prompted some investigators to explore the reliability of glutathione level measurements in blood as an indicator of oxidative stress-associated brain changes.
The pilot clinical study involved nine healthy adults. Eight of the participants were between the ages of 21 and 26 years; one was 56 years old. Each of the participants took 100 micromoles of sulforaphane (from a standardized broccoli sprout extract) by mouth every morning for one week. The authors of the study collected urine and blood specimens from the participants and performed MRS scans on their brains prior to the first dose of sulforaphane and within four hours of the final dose.
At the end of the week-long study, the participants' blood cell glutathione levels increased 32 percent. The MRS scans revealed similar increases in the thalamus, a region of the brain involved in information processing and a key player in schizophrenia. These observations were consistent regardless of age, sex, or race of the participants.
These findings suggest that sulforaphane shows promise as a therapeutic strategy for modulating oxidative stress in the brain, an underlying feature of schizophrenia. Some evidence that moringin, an isothiocyanate compound derived from moringa, may be useful in treating some of the symptoms of schizophrenia. Watch this clip in which Dr. Jed Fahey describes the health benefits associated with moringin and discusses the chemical structure differences between it and sulforaphane.