Herbal Approaches To Modulating iNOS, IL-6, TNFA, COX-2, and IL-10
*This article is not medical advice. Before starting on any health related regimen, seek the advice of your Primary Care Physician or an M.D.
Using Food Chemistry To Modulate Key Inflammatory and Immune Genes
This is one of my favorite blog articles to show clients because it explains how herbs and spices can be used to help calm inflammation, and it discusses the different anti-inflammatory activity of different herbs and spices [1]. Anti-inflammatory herbs, spices, and foods can calm inflammation by lowering inflammatory compounds such as interleukins, cyclo-oxygenase, and iNOS, to name a few.
One of the most common markers of inflammation is iNOS (NOS2), and this article[1] reveals several herbs that down-regulate NOS2 to quell inflammation. However, this doesn’t happen in isolation, and each herb shown also effects other pathways. For example, each herb utilizes a specific CYP450 Phase 1 detox gene, and it may also use NQO1 to become ubiquinated. When deciding which herbs to use, one must consider all potential impacts. To illustrate, consider fenugreek. It is a potent NOS2 inhibitor, but it also has strong estrogenic effects, as well as effects on fatty acid metabolism.
Additionally, although apigenin, quercetin, and luteolin are certainly potent anti-inflammatories in general, their use should be short-term in almost all cases. ll potential impacts should be considered.
Potent iNOS Inhibitors[1]
The following herbs and herbal compounds are potent inhibitors of iNOS:
Rosemary
Sage
Oregano
Chrysin
Fenugreek
Licorice - famous also for its ability to raise blood pressure. Each year overconsumption of licorice results in a substantial number of ER admissions due to high blood pressure!
Apigenin, Quercetin, Luteolin, Resveratrol, Myricetin, Diosmetin, Kampferol
Potent Herbal Interleukin-6 (Il-6) Inhibitors[1]
Black pepper
Chilli peppers
Bay leaves
Sage
Apples
Note: a reduction in IL-6 has been shown to increase iron absorption.
There are surprisingly quite a few herbs, spices, and other foods that raise TNFA (especially pomegranate), so be careful in your selection of “healthy” foods![1]
Interleukin-10 Inhibitors
Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a very important gene required to modulate the gut microbiome-activated immune response. Mutations on IL-10 have been implicated in the development ME/CFS with significant statistical significance (one study in particular touted a p-value of .07). Long-term inhibition of IL-10 is not suggested.
Bay leaves
Apple
Cinnamon
Chrysin
Thyme
Rosemary
Sage
Luteolin
Apigenin
Quercetin
Resveratrol
Kampferol
COX-2 Inhibitors
Apigenin
Luteolin
References:
Anti-inflammatory activity of extracts from fruits, herbs and spices. By Monika Mueller, Stefanie Hobiger, Alois Jungbauer. Christian Doppler Laboratory for Receptor Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences. Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, AustriaFood Chemistry 122 (2010) 987–996.