HERBS THAT ENHANCE AUTOPHAGY & CELLULAR HEALING

Turmeric:

Just like ginger, turmeric is an anti-inflammatory herb that belongs to the rhizome family. It is a warming spice that provides flavor and color to various foods, condiments, and teas. It has been used for thousands of years in traditional Ayurvedic, Indian, and Chinese medicine, and more recently as an anti-inflammatory supplement around the world .

Turmeric is one of the most researched spices. The US National Center for Biotechnology alone has over 6,000 studies on its benefits. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant herb with a potent active compound, curcumin. Turmeric may enhance autophagy, decrease inflammation, and lower pain levels. Research has shown that turmeric may benefit inflammation related to ulcerative colitis, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and lupus.

Matcha Green Tea:

Matcha green tea is an increasingly popular tea. Though it comes from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, as green tea, it is grown differently. Farmers cover the tea plant for 20 to 30 days before harvesting. This technique increases chlorophyll production and amino acid content. After harvesting, they remove the stems and veins to create a fine powder from the ground up leaves resulting in a tea that’s higher in antioxidants than green tea.

Matcha green tea is rich in the polyphenol EGCG and has a number of health benefits. One of its benefits is enhancing autophagy by mimicking the effects of calorie restriction. Some even refer to matcha as the autophagy-tea. Other benefits include boosting brain function, supporting your liver, protecting your heart, and helping weight loss.

 Ginger:

Ginger is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory herbs out there. It belongs to the rhizome family, which means that its stem grows horizontally grows underground forming roots downwards and stems and leaves above ground. It has been used for over 5,000 years in China and India as a natural remedy. Since the Roman Empire, it has also been popular in Europe and in the past several hundred years around the world, including the United States. It can be used in dishes, teas, and juices, and as a supplement.

Ginger has over one hundred chemical compounds. Gingerol is its most powerful active compound with a variety of powerful health benefits. Ginger may enhance autophagy, decrease inflammation, and lower pain levels. It has been shown to reduce inflammation and pain related to exercise, osteoarthritis, intestinal issues, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.

 Resveratrol:

Resveratrol is a powerful plant compound that can be found in red wine, grapes, berries, and peanuts. It is mainly concentrated in the skins and seeds of grapes and berries, which explains that the fermented grapes in red wine are particularly high in resveratrol.

Resveratrol acts as an antioxidant with countless health benefits for your health. Research has shown that by directly inhibiting mTOR through ATP competition, resveratrol may enhance autophagy. It may also be beneficial for brain health, insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and joint pain.

Quercetin:

Bioflavonoids, or flavonoids, are a group of pigments that may help to protect you against various diseases. They possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-viral, anti-allergic, and anti-carcinogenic properties, and may enhance autophagy.

While there are over 4000 known bioflavonoids, quercetin is one of my favorites. Quercetin can be found in onions, leafy greens, tomatoes, broccoli, and berries. It may enhance autophagy, fight inflammation, improve immunity, and fight free radical damage.

 

Enhanced autophagy is essential for increasing energy, losing fat, improving mental clarity, lowering pain, reducing inflammation, and improving your health. Autophagy happens when your body recycles and discards old cells allowing the creation of new cells to replace them.