Do plant extracts really work for human health？

In recent years, as people's concern for health has increased, plant extracts, with their natural, safe, and effective characteristics, are not only widely used in food, health care products, medicine, and other fields but gradually become a research hot spot. However, many people have doubts about this, this article will stand from the scientific point of view, revealing the truth of plant extracts.

Beneficial components of plant extracts

Firstly, it is worth emphasizing that plant extracts are not just crushed plants, but biologically active compounds extracted from plants, rich in a variety of beneficial components such as flavonoids, polyphenols, terpenes, alkaloids, and so on. These components have good antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anticancer properties, which play an important role in human health.

Next, we give a few examples of typical beneficial ingredients and their effects:

• Flavonoids: have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anti-viral effects, and protective effects on the cardiovascular and immune systems. Our common plants including citrus fruits, onions, and ginkgo biloba are rich in a large number of flavonoids.
• Polyphenols: Polyphenols are the main antioxidant components in plant extracts, which have the effect of scavenging free radicals, reducing oxidative stress, preventing cardiovascular disease, etc. They are also known to be anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and cancer-preventive. And 70% of plants contain plant polyphenols, such as turmeric, green tea, rosemary, and so on.
• Terpenoids: have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and analgesic effects, and have a modulating effect on the nervous system and digestive systems. Celery, carrot, fennel, etc. are plants with high terpene content.

Clinical Trials

Several clinical trials have shown that plant extracts have significant human health benefits. Below are some of the clinical trials on the health benefits of plant extracts:

• Improved Cognition: A study of older adults found that ingesting plant extracts rich in polyphenolic compounds, such as blueberry extract, improved cognitive function in older adults. The double-blind, randomized, controlled trial randomized older people into two groups, one receiving blueberry extract and the other a placebo. After 12 weeks of treatment, older adults who received blueberry extract performed significantly better on tests of memory and attention than those who received a placebo. This suggests that the polyphenols in blueberry extract can improve cognitive function in the brain.
• Anti-diabetic effects: A study of patients with type 2 diabetes found that ingesting cinnamon extract lowered patients' blood sugar levels and improved insulin resistance. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized patients into two groups, one receiving cinnamon extract and the other a placebo. After 12 weeks of treatment, the patients who received the cinnamon extract had significantly lower fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels, as well as a reduction in the insulin resistance index. This suggests that the active ingredient in cinnamon extract improves insulin sensitivity, thereby reducing blood glucose levels.
• Anti-fatigue: A study of healthy adults found that ingesting ginseng extract increased the body's energy levels and boosted stamina and endurance. This double-blind, randomized, controlled trial divided people into two groups, one receiving ginseng extract and the other a placebo. The results showed that participants who received ginseng extract performed better during exercise and had less fatigue. This may be related to the fact that components such as ginsenosides in ginseng extract can increase the body's energy metabolism and antioxidant capacity.

Clinical trials such as these have been published in various publications around the world, and although these are just a few examples if you are reading this and still have questions about the efficacy of certain botanical extracts, you can contact us directly and we will provide you with the relevant clinical verification.

Scientific Verification

In addition to clinical trials, research institutes have conducted a large number of studies on plant extracts in a variety of areas, including compositional analyses, efficacy, and safety assessments. These studies provide strong support for the claims of plant extracts on human health.

Firstly, compositional analysis is the basis for the study of plant extracts. By isolating, identifying, and quantitatively analyzing the components of plant extracts, the beneficial components they contain and their contents can be clarified, providing a basis for pharmacodynamics and safety assessment.

Secondly, pharmacodynamics is an important part of assessing the effects of plant extracts on human health. Scientific research institutions study the mechanism of action of plant extracts on living organisms, the characteristics of their efficacy, and so on through animal experiments, cell experiments, and other methods, so as to provide theoretical support for clinical application.

In addition, safety assessment is the final part of plant extract research. This requires research institutions to assess the safety of plant extracts through toxicological experiments and clinical trials to ensure their safety and effectiveness in clinical applications.

As a result of the above methods and processes of research and judgment, a large amount of evidence was eventually provided to support the claims of plant extracts on human health. These findings also provide a scientific basis for the application of plant extracts in food, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals.

Conclusion

In summary, there is no doubt that plant extracts have a variety of benefits for human health, and these benefits have been verified by a large number of scientific experiments and clinical trials at the same time, which provide a reliable basis for the application of plant extracts in the fields of food and health products. As research continues, it is believed that plant extracts will play a greater role in human health in the future.