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MELAGRANA: cosa succede davvero nel nostro organismo quando la mangiamo? — Transcript

by Dott De Mari · 2,299 words · 390 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:03Look at this fruit, you all know it,
0:05right? It's the pomegranate, a fruit
0:08that has accompanied humanity for
0:10thousands of years. But today I want to
0:14tell you something you likely don't
0:16know, because inside these small red
0:19seeds hide substances which, once they
0:22have reached our intestines, can be
0:24transformed by the specific bacteria
0:26that make their home within our colon.
0:30And do you know what's most surprising?
0:34Some of the metabolites produced by
0:36these bacteria are currently being
0:37studied for their possible role in the
0:39functioning of the mitochondria. Did
0:42you get it right? We are talking about
0:44those specific structures that allow
0:46our cells to produce a large portion of
0:48the energy that they require for their
0:50functions. But there's another
0:52interesting fact. Two people who eat
0:55exactly the same pomegranate will
0:58produce very different amounts of these
1:01substances because it also depends on
1:04the bacteria that live in their
1:06intestines. Today I'm going to take you
1:09on a journey. We'll start with the
1:12millennia-old history of the
1:14pomegranate, discover what it contains
1:16and follow some of its molecules
1:19through our digestive system. We will
1:22enter the colon, meet the intestinal
1:25microbiota and get to the mitochondria
1:27and finally we will also talk about a
1:30very interesting topic, research on the
1:32pomegranate and urinary tract
1:34infections. I am Dr. De Mari and this
1:37is a new episode of our series, Inside
1:39the Human Body. Before we enter into
1:45our body, let us take a small journey
1:48back in time. The pomegranate is the
1:52fruit of the pomegranate tree, a plant
1:54known scientifically as Punica granatum
1:56. Its origins are between the
2:00Aesculapian and the regions of
2:01modern-day Iran. From these lands it
2:05gradually spread towards India, the
2:07Middle East and the Mediterranean. It
2:10was already known to ancient
2:11civilizations. The Egyptians considered
2:14it a symbol of life and prosperity. In
2:18ancient Greece it was linked to the
2:20myth of Persephone. According to the
2:23mythological story, Persephone ate some
2:25pomegranate seeds in the kingdom of
2:27Aden. That gesture linked her to the
2:30underworld and became part of the myth
2:32that explained the changing of the
2:34seasons. And think about how
2:37fascinating this symbolism is, a fruit
2:39that contains hundreds of small seeds
2:42has become a symbol of fertility,
2:44abundance and rebirth in many crops.
2:48But today, science allows us to look
2:50beyond the symbolism, because this
2:52structure, which is so particular,
2:55contains a phytochemical composition
2:57that is quite interesting. Let's start
3:03with a distinction. Those things we
3:06commonly call grains are actually arils
3:09, which are the juicy structures that
3:11surround the seeds. They are the part
3:14that we normally eat. 100 g of arils
3:17contain about 83 kcalories. They
3:21contain water, carbohydrates, about 4 g
3:23of fiber, potassium and small amounts
3:26of various vitamins. But the most
3:28interesting part from a research point
3:30of view concerns the phytochemical
3:32compounds. Let's start with the
3:34anthocyanins. These are natural
3:37pigments which contribute to giving the
3:39pomegranate its characteristic deep red
3:41color. They belong to the large family
3:44of polyphenols. Then we find the
3:49ellagitans and here we encounter a
3:51molecule that has been particularly
3:54studied, punnicaagin. Punica lain is
3:58mainly present in the peel and internal
4:00membranes of the fruit. Here you see,
4:05this part is not the one we normally
4:08eat, yet it contains significant
4:11concentrations of some polyphenols.
4:15This allows us to understand something
4:17fundamental. Eating the arils, drinking
4:20a juice and taking a concentrated
4:23extract does not mean introducing
4:25exactly the same substances into the
4:27body in the same quantity. It depends
4:31on the part of the fruit used, the
4:32processing method and the
4:34concentrations of the compound. And it
4:36is a distinction that will become
4:38particularly important when we get into
4:41scientific studies. But now comes the
4:43most fascinating part. What happens to
4:46these molecules when they enter our
4:48digestive system? Imagine eating a
4:55portion of pomegranate; you chew it,
4:57you swallow it, and then the contents
5:00finally reach your stomach. Then it
5:04passes into the small intestine where
5:06numerous digestive and absorption
5:08processes take place, but not all the
5:10compounds in the pomegranate are
5:12completely absorbed in this first part
5:14of the journey. Therefore, certain
5:18tannins undergo a transformation during
5:20the digestive process, subsequently
5:22releasing agagic acid. A portion of
5:25these compounds reaches the colon and
5:27here they meet an extraordinary
5:29ecosystem, the intestinal microbiota.
5:32We are talking about a community made
5:34up of billions of microorganisms,
5:36including bacteria that participate in
5:38numerous metabolic transformations.
5:41Some of these bacteria possess the
5:43unique ability to transform ellagic
5:45acid into a specific family of
5:46metabolites which are known as
5:48urolithins. These include urolithins A
5:52and B, as well as other intermediate
5:54molecules. Now, be careful, these
5:57substances are not simply already
6:00present in the fruit, in the quantities
6:02that we can find after intestinal
6:04transformation; they are partly the
6:07result of the work of our
6:08microorganisms. Therefore, the
6:11microbiota does not simply coexist with
6:14us, it participates in the chemical
6:16transformation of some substances
6:18introduced with food. And this is where
6:20I want to ask you a question. Do you
6:23believe that we all share the exact
6:26same types of bacteria within our
6:28intestinal systems? Of course not. So,
6:31if the production of urolithins is also
6:33dependent on intestinal microorganisms,
6:35can we really expect that we all
6:36produce the exact same quantity of them
6:38? In this case too, the answer is no.
6:43Researchers have identified different
6:45profiles called urolithic metabiota.
6:50There are people who predominantly
6:52produce urolithin A, others who produce
6:55urolithin B together with A, and still
6:58others who do not produce detectable
7:00amounts of final urolithin under the
7:03conditions studied. These profiles are
7:07referred to as metabiotype A,
7:09metabiotype B, and metabiotype Zer. Do
7:13you understand how interesting this is?
7:16Two people may consume the exact same
7:18amount of pomegranate, but because of
7:20differences in their gut microbiota,
7:22they can go on to produce entirely
7:24different metabolites. This is one of
7:28the reasons why research is so
7:29interested in the relationship between
7:31diet, microbiota, and personalized
7:33nutrition. But can we talk about a
7:36prebiotic effect? Here we need to make
7:39a clarification. A prebiotic is defined
7:41as a substrate that is selectively used
7:44by host microorganisms which are
7:45capable of conferring a health benefit.
7:48Some dietary fibers are well-known
7:51examples. Certain polyphenols are also
7:54currently being studied for a possible
7:56microbiotic activity. But the fact that
8:00bacteria transform a substance is not
8:02enough in itself to demonstrate a
8:04prebiotic effect. For pomegranate, it
8:08is therefore more correct to speak of a
8:10possible prebiotic activity and above
8:12all of an interaction between
8:14polyphenols and gut microbiota. And
8:17this interaction brings us to the next
8:19stop on our journey. One of the most
8:22studied molecules produced by the
8:25microbiota is urolithin A. Once formed
8:27in the intestine, it can be absorbed
8:30and subsequently transformed by the
8:32body into other derivatives. Research
8:36has focused on urolithin A, in
8:38particular for its possible
8:40relationship with a cellular process
8:42called mitophagy. But what is mitophagy
8:45? To understand it, we need to go
8:48inside a cell. This is where we find
8:50the mitochondria. These are organelles
8:53that are essential for cellular energy
8:56production. We can imagine them as a
8:59system of small power plants, but
9:01mitochondria also tend to get damaged
9:04and lose efficiency over time, and the
9:06cell possesses specific systems
9:08designed to recognize and subsequently
9:11remove those that have become damaged.
9:14One of these processes is called
9:16mitophagy. It is a specialized form of
9:18autophagy that contributes to the
9:20quality control of our body's
9:22mitochondria. Well, several
9:25experimental studies have observed that
9:27urolithin A can influence some of the
9:29mechanisms involved in these processes.
9:32Clinical studies have also been
9:34conducted, utilizing purified urolithin
9:36, in order to evaluate various
9:38indicators related to both muscle
9:40function and mitochondrial function.
9:43But here comes a fundamental
9:44clarification. We must not confuse the
9:47effects that are studied with a
9:49purified molecule with those that
9:51result from the consumption of an
9:53actual food. Eating a pomegranate does
9:56not mean taking a defined dose of
9:58urolithin A because that molecule must
10:00first be produced by the microbiota and
10:03we have just seen that not everyone has
10:05the same capacity to produce it. So the
10:09research is fascinating, but we cannot
10:11claim that eating pomegranate
10:13rejuvenates the mitochondria. That
10:17would be a conclusion that goes beyond
10:19the available evidence and that is the
10:22beauty of science, it allows us to
10:24discover new mechanisms, but it also
10:26teaches us to distinguish between
10:28hypotheses of potential benefits and
10:30those that have been clinically
10:32demonstrated. Now I would like to speak
10:36to you about another topic which is
10:38currently attracting the attention of
10:40research: the potential role of
10:41pomegranate in urinary tract infections
10:43. You may have already heard of
10:48cranberries. They are a fruit that has
10:50been studied primarily for the
10:51prevention of recurrent urinary tract
10:53infections. But why? Some of its
10:56compounds, in particular certain type A
10:59proanthoidins, have been studied for
11:01their ability to hinder the adhesion of
11:04bacteria such as Escherichia colli to
11:07the cells of the urinary tract. And
11:11this is an important step because
11:13several strains of Escherichia colli
11:15responsible for urinary tract
11:16infections have structures that allow
11:19them to adhere to the urethra. For
11:23cranberry, we also have clinical
11:24studies and systemic reviews that
11:26suggest a benefit in preventing
11:28relapses, especially. But this does not
11:32mean that cranberry can cure ongoing
11:34cystitis. And pomegranate. Some
11:37experimental studies have observed
11:40antimicrobial and antibiofilm
11:42activities of extracts obtained from
11:44pomegranate. Among the compounds
11:47studied we find punicalagin,
11:49punicalanin and ellagic acid. In the
11:53laboratory, certain extracts have shown
11:55the ability to interfere with some
11:57processes involved in the growth and
12:00organization of bacteria. But we must
12:03be very precise. These results mainly
12:07pertain to preclinical experiments, and
12:09concentrated extracts that are obtained
12:11from the peel of the fruit are often
12:14utilized as well. We are not
12:17necessarily talking about the
12:18consumption of fresh seeds. There are
12:22also small studies on formulations that
12:24combine pomegranate extracts with other
12:27substances such as dimannose,
12:28prebiotics and probiotics. But when a
12:32formulation contains multiple
12:33ingredients, we cannot automatically
12:35attribute the possible result to one or
12:37the other and above all the available
12:39studies are not yet sufficient to
12:41establish that pomegranate prevents
12:43urinary tract infections in any way. So
12:46if someone tells you that eating
12:48pomegranate is exactly the same as
12:50taking cranberries to prevent urinary
12:52tract infections, you should know that
12:58this equivalence has not been
13:00demonstrated. Furthermore, if you
13:02happen to develop cystitis, especially
13:04when accompanied by fever, pain in your
13:06sides, or other significant symptoms,
13:08it is still essential that you consult
13:10with your doctor for a proper medical
13:11examination. The fruit is in no way a
13:15substitute for an approved therapy. At
13:22this point, you are probably asking
13:24yourselves: "So, how is it best to
13:26consume the pomegranate: as the whole
13:28fruit, in the form of juice, or perhaps
13:31as an extract?" From a nutritional
13:34perspective, I would generally express
13:36a preference for fresh arils because,
13:39in addition to water and phytochemicals
13:41, we also ingest dietary fiber; this
13:44fiber contributes to normal intestinal
13:46function, and a portion of it can
13:48subsequently be utilized by the various
13:51microorganisms present within the colon
13:53. Juice, on the other hand, generally
13:57contains much less fiber and it is
13:59often much easier to quickly consume
14:02the sugars present in a large quantity
14:04of fruit. This does not mean that a
14:07pomegranate juice which contains no
14:09added sugars should necessarily be
14:11considered a negative food item. It
14:13simply means that it is not
14:15nutritionally identical to the whole
14:17fruit. What about extracts? Dried
14:20extracts can be standardized so that
14:22they contain defined amounts of
14:24specific compounds, however, their
14:26final composition depends on both the
14:28raw material used and the specific
14:30extraction process applied. Furthermore
14:34, a higher concentration of polyphenols
14:36does not automatically guarantee
14:39greater clinical benefit. Extracts must
14:41be evaluated based on their composition
14:44, their safety, and the evidence that
14:46is available regarding their intended
14:48specific use. We have reached the end
14:50of our journey and we started with a
14:52fruit that has been known for thousands
14:54of years. We discovered that it
14:57contains fiber, micronutrients and
14:59numerous phytochemicals. We followed
15:02some of its polyphenols to the colon.
15:06We have seen how certain intestinal
15:08bacteria can transform them into
15:10urolithins and we have even reached the
15:13mitochondria where research is trying
15:15to better understand the possible role
15:18of one of these molecules, urolipin A.
15:20We have also understood why it is
15:22necessary to distinguish the studies
15:25conducted on extracts from the
15:26properties of the fresh fruit, but
15:29above all we have learned one thing: it
15:31is not only what we eat that matters,
15:35it is also how our body, together with
15:37the intestinal microbiota, is able to
15:40transform it. And this reminds us of
15:43how complex and fascinating the
15:45relationship between nutrition and
15:48health is. But I want to leave you with
15:51one last message. We do not need to
15:54transform every food into a drug to
15:57recognize its value. Pomegranate is not
16:01a miracle cure; rather, it is a food
16:03that can find a place in a varied and
16:06balanced diet, and its scientific
16:08history is a subject that is still
16:10entirely to be explored. If you enjoyed
16:14this episode, write to me in the
16:16comments which food you would like to
16:18explore in the next episode of Inside
16:20the Human Body. And if you would like
16:23to continue discovering how our body
16:25truly functions, please make sure to
16:27subscribe to my channel. I am Dr. De
16:30Mari. See you on the next journey
16:32inside the human body. Hi everyone.

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