A Stressful Plant

A little bit of stress can go a long way in the plant kingdom. We put our bodies through stress when exercising and fasting and we see the benefits of it. What if you could delegate the job to plants? During a plant’s lifetime they will go through many stressors. They don’t have legs, so plants develop a lot of biological resistance to invaders and harsh environmental conditions. Vitamins and antioxidants we ingest were produced by plants for their own survival. (Gregor, 509-10). 

Plants for the most part don’t want to be eaten, which is why plants were and are toxic to our bodies to some degree, and we evolved to handle them. Much like exercising, these mild stressors provide long lasting benefits for us. (Gregor, 510-12). However, this is also a reason we may not want to supplement these nutrients as larger doses may not be beneficial for us. Additionally, the supplement market is not heavily regulated. (Gregor, 514). Furthermore, the whole plant eaten together increases the number of antioxidants substantially and eating different fruits and vegetables together also enhances this plant synergy. (Gregor, 515-516). 

The beneficial substances other species produce is also now being used in skincare. An example is ecotin. Ecotin is a substance produced by certain microorganisms to help them survive harsh environmental conditions such as drought and UV radiation. Ecotin is now being used in cutting edge skincare to protect the skin from UV rays and pollution.

Take aways

1. Plants undergo and adapt to stressful conditions

2. The biological resistance plants build up are beneficial to humans such as vitamins and antioxidants

Book References: Greger, M. (2023). How not to age: The scientific approach to getting healthier as you get older. Flatiron Books.