Journal of Nutraceuticals and Health

ABSTRACT

Nutraceuticals are bioactive compounds that integrate the functional properties of nutrients and pharmaceuticals, offering notable benefits in promoting health, preventing diseases, and providing therapeutic solutions. Their capacity to influence biological pathways associated with chronic inflammation has garnered significant scientific attention. Chronic inflammation serves as a major contributor to carcinogenesis, driving processes such as cellular transformation, proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. The therapeutic potential of nutraceuticals lies in their ability to target critical inflammatory pathways and transcription factors, including NF-?B and STAT3, which play pivotal roles in regulating inflammatory and tumorigenic processes. These compounds, encompassing polyphenols, vitamins, and other plant-derived bioactives, are also recognized for their antioxidative properties, which help mitigate oxidative stress, a key factor in the progression of chronic diseases. Telomere length serves as a molecular clock, measuring the number of cell divisions and playing a crucial role in cellular aging. Telomeres shorten with each cell division, leading to genomic instability and cellular aging. The enzyme telomerase helps maintain telomere length, crucial for delaying cellular senescence. Diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins, carotenoids, and polyphenols, such as the Mediterranean diet, can mitigate telomere shortening and promote genomic stability. Increased physical activity also positively influences telomere length, reducing oxidative damage and supporting healthy aging. By alleviating oxidative and inflammatory damage, nutraceuticals support healthy aging and the prevention of inflammation-related diseases. Given their multifaceted effects on cellular mechanisms, nutraceuticals emerge as promising candidates for advancing therapeutic and preventive strategies in modern medicine and nutrition. Their application in personalized and integrative approaches warrants further research to fully unlock their potential in clinical settings.

KEYWORDS

1. Nutraceuticals
2. Inflammation
3. Tumorigenesis
4. Cancer
5. Telomere integrity