Bioregulatory Medicine by Dickson Thom

Author:Dickson Thom
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing

There are three main phytochemical families: polyphenols, terpenes, and alkaloids. Curcumin, for example, is a polyphenol derived from turmeric root and belonging to the ginger family. It has a long history of use in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine to treat various diseases such as asthma, anorexia, coughing, hepatic diseases, diabetes, heart diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. Various scientific studies have shown that curcumin has anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, thrombosuppressive, cardioprotective, antiarthritic, chemopreventive, and anticarcinogenic activities. It can suppress both initiation and progression stages of cancer, enhances the effectiveness of some chemotherapy agents, and has shown potential therapeutic benefit in experimental diabetes and hyperlipidemia studies. All this in just one bright orange root.

Various other polyphenols provide radiation protection from today’s overexposure to electromagnetic fields and use of radiation therapy. Resveratrol, quercetin, and green tea polyphenols are among the top-studied and most potent radiation protectants in this class. Resveratrol, a natural polyphenolic compound produced by a variety of plants, such as grapes and some berries, is a radioprotector in healthy tissue and also has antitumor activity. Quercetin, found in onions, lovage, kale, and capers, protects lipids and proteins from otherwise lethal doses of gamma radiation, primarily through its antioxidant properties. Quercetin and other polyphenols not only provide chromosomal radioprotection, but also shield mitochondrial DNA from radiation-induced oxidant damage. Lastly, the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (derived from green tea) protects animals from whole-body radiation, blocking lipid oxidation and prolonging life span.

Terpenes, the phytochemicals found in plants and fungi, are the building blocks of complex plant hormones, pigments, and sterols. There are over thirty thousand different terpene structures that have anticancer, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, and antihyperglycemic actions. Terpenes can be found in lavender, cinnamon, black pepper, tomatoes, rose hips, cannabinoids, and many healing mushrooms.

Mushrooms have a cross-cultural history of medicinal use spanning many millennia. In Asia, South America, Africa, and throughout Europe, mushrooms have been used medicinally and as food, as well as in rituals to awaken consciousness. Medicinal mushrooms have been used for centuries by Asian and European doctors and herbalists, and increasing evidence of their efficacy is making them acceptable to the Western mindset, as well. Studies suggest that specific mushrooms are strongly immunologic, help us maintain physiological homeostasis, restore physical balance, and improve our natural resistance to disease. More than 270 recognized species of mushrooms are known to have specific immunotherapeutic properties. In fact, medicinal mushrooms might hold the greatest immunological promise for the future of oncology and chronic infectious disease treatment.

Cordyceps, chaga, turkey tail, maitake, shiitake, agaricus, and reishi all contain terpenoids as well as other phytochemicals, including beta-glucans, polysaccharides, and ergosterols. Beta-glucans are known as biological response modifiers, and their ability to activate the immune system is well documented. Specifically, beta-glucans can stimulate macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, and immune system cytokines. The medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei Murill (AbM), originating from the Brazilian rain forest, has been long used in traditional South American medicine for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of diseases, including infection, allergy, and cancer.

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