Betulinic Acid Benefits And Supplement Credentials
Betulinic acid benefits for our wellness are beginning to be more well understood and this plant compound shows promise as a health supplement. This compound is a triterpene found in many different plants such as eucalyptus plants or birch trees. The bark of birch trees is very rich in betulinic acid.
Studies have found that betulinic acid has potential as an anti viral and cancer preventative compound. This is due to special characteristics betulinic acid including high antioxidant capacity. Antioxidant characteristics also contribute to inflammation calming effects and betulinic acid also has potential as an anti diabetic compound. Betulinic acid could act as an antimalarial compound within the body.
These characteristics have led to betulinic acid attracting attention from the wellness community and nutritional researchers. In this article the benefits of betulinic acid will be considered to show how this plant compound has potential benefits as a supplement and when eaten in foods.
Betulin And Betulinic Acid
Betulinic acid is made within plants from betulin in a series of steps. Betulin is considered to have potential benefits or effects on our wellness in itself. Its derivative plant compound betulinic acid has been considered as a bioactive substance by researchers for a while.
Betulinic acid been used in traditional medicines for centuries. Both of these triterpenoid compounds are obtainable from outer bark of the birch tree and may share antioxidant properties.
Betulinic Acid Foods And Food Sources
Foods or food sources containing betulinic acid are hard to come by. Some classical plant sources of betulinic acid may include birch tree bark, eucalyptus and bog bean roots. Eucalyptus is not considered to be edible. These plants are thought to contain larger amounts of betulinic acid.
Some more usual foods or food sources containing smaller amounts of betulinic acid include some apples and pear fruits. Herbal foods or food sources also containing small amounts of betulinic acid include rosemary and thyme which are often used in cooking. You may also be able to obtain betulinic acid from chaga mushrooms.
Other sources of betulinic acid include a medicinal herb called rangoon creeper fruit, fruits from a quince relative called Chaenomeles Lagenaria, horned apple tree fruits, Nirgundi leaves, the Uapaca nidida or Shiny Uapaca fruit tree, fruits of marble ebony, stems of Vietnamese medicinal plant Orthosiphon stamineus and the roots of the Chinese medicinalAnemone raddeana.
High amounts of betulinic acid have also been found in Doliocarpus schottianus leaves and Tovomita krukovii trees. Some of these could be considered to be foods but are best known as herbals or food sources. This list is very extensive and contains many exotic plants or fruits. Because of this betulinic acid may be best consumed as a food supplement.
How Betulinic Acid May Have Benefits For Our Health
Recent research shows that the triterpenoid betulinic acid could have various benefits for our health such as inflammation calming, antioxidant restoring, antiviral, kidney protective and anti cancer or cancer preventative properties.
Betulinic Acid And Inflammation
Retaining oxidative balance in the body is crucial for preventing oxidative stress caused diseases like cancer and supporting conditions for life. Inflammation is factor in various chronic diseases. One of the main bioactivities of betulinic acid is systemic reductions in inflammation signals and inflammatory stress.
Initial preclinical studies suggest that betulinic acid could protect against kidney damage from oxidative stress. Betulinic acid supplements may provide the body with an additional antioxidant capacity. This may lessen inflammation via antioxidant lowered inflammatory signals and protect organs like the kidneys from stress damage.
Levels of important body antioxidants were shown to be improved too. This supports heightened antioxidant activity in the body. Similar reductions in oxidative stress were observed with both the spleen or the thymus and also after alcohol damage to the liver.
Betulinic acid may also have benefits in reducing fatty acid and cell membrane oxidation which leads to cancers or systemic inflammation. There is evidence that betulinic acid could reduce systemic inflammation in the gut and the skin.
Other studies suggest that betulinic acid may also help with joint swelling. The suggested action here is also a reduction oxidative inflammation. Betulinic acid may also have remedial effects or benefits for glucose intolerance and wound healing via reductions in oxidative stress. This compound may restore levels of GLUT4 and improve glucose tolerance in muscles. Betulinic acid has been observed to mitigate reductions in pancreatic stress signalling.
Betulinic Acid Cancer Preventative Benefits
There have been many studies that support a potential effect of betulinic acid on the prevention of cancer or tumor growths. One very recent study identified that betulinic acid was able to initiate controlled cell death in malfunctioning cancerous cells and therefore has natural cancer preventative abilities on cells.
Cell death is initiated when cells become very stressed or damaged. This is one strong means as to how betulinic acid could have benefits for our wellness. Excess apoptosis occurs in muscle or brain tissue degeneration but is an important step in cancer prevention.
Betulinic acid has also been shown to enhance natural autophagy. The overall effect of this activity reduces the accumulation of cell stress and so reduces risks of harmful cancer events. Mitochondrial rendering by autophagy removes risk of cancer. Here betulinic acid also shows cancer evasion or cancer preventative properties.
Preclinical studies have shown that betulinic acid is absorbed with cancer preventative effects on colon and lung cancer cells. Other studies have produced cancer preventative effects from betulinic acid use against melanoma through natural and controlled cancer cell deaths.
Betulinic acid may also have benefits in preventing the movement of some cancer cells through the body and is an important aspect in some skin cancers. Some studies believe that betulinic acid could reverse the metastatic state of some skin cancer cells from ones that are able to move. This adds to the cancer preventative characteristics of this natural plant compound. Betulinic acid may also prevent naturally produced enzymes from fracturing DNA.
One main bioactivity of betulinic acid is the reduction in activation of cell stress pathways that are also linked with inflammatory responses. This adds to the natural ability or benefits of betulinic acid to assist with cancer prevention.
Betulinic Acid As A Neuroprotective Supplement
Betulinic acid could be effective as a supplement to support brain health. Some potential benefits that have been identified include anti anxiety activity and the protection of nerve cells from oxidative stress. Studies suggest that betulinic acid can significantly lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
A combined effect of betulinic acid caused autophagy and antioxidant effects may revitalize the health of nerve cells. The antioxidant or inflammation calming characteristics of betulinic acid could provide benefits to our brain health and protect cognitive functioning.
Betulinic Acid Anti Viral Properties
Research shows that betulinic acid could be an effective compound against the growth of microorganisms. Betulinic acid may have anti viral activities including actions against HIV and other retroviruses. Betulinic acid may inhibit HIV replication and cellular entry. There is evidence that betulinic acid could inhibit herpes simplex virus too.
This compound may also have effects and benefits in preventing harmful microbial growths as a topical antimicrobial. Some studies suggest that betulinic acid could be used against the malarial parasite for malaria infections and that this compound may have antiplasmodial activity.
One disease preventative activity is thought to be mitochondrial activation and reduced DNA fragmentation. Betulinic acid may also activate immune macrophage pro inflammatory cytokines to assist immune responses. This compound may also protect the heart under inflammatory stress during sepsis.
Overall betulinic acid has potential benefits for our wellbeing and shows promise as a supplement which may have disease preventative action.
Summary
Betulinic acid benefits for our wellness are beginning to be more well understood as this triterpene gains fans in the healthy living community. Various traits of betulinic acid mean that this compound may also have potential benefits as a supplement.
Betulinic acid foods or food sources are hard to find. Some rich sources of betulinic acid include eucalyptus plants and birch trees. Foods containing betulinic acid include herbs like rosemary and pear fruits. Betulinic acid is made within plants from betulin.
The basis of the benefits of betulinic acid originate from antioxidant activities. This seems to assist with inflammation reduction in various organs and maintenance of conditions needed for life or healing. Betulinic acid may prevent oxidative stress damage to the kidneys and gut. Some studies have shown that this compound may support diabetics who have insulin resistance.
Betulinic acid could be a potent cancer risk reducing compound via reducing cell stress, improving healthy autophagy or controlled cell death and lessening DNA fragmentation.
One study showed that betulinic acid can significantly lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and provide anti anxiety support. Betulinic acid could have benefits for protecting cognitive functioning as an inflammation calming antioxidant. Another potential bioactivity of betulinic acid is anti viral and anti microbe activities. Betulinic acid could also have an effect on the malarial parasite.
Overall betulinic acid has potential benefits for our wellbeing and shows promise as a supplement which may have disease preventative action.
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