Obesity-Associated Health Risks and the role of Some Natural Phytochemicals: Diverse Physiological Mechanisms of Action

Abstract

Being the 5th highest risk of death globally, obesity has grown to be a significant public health concern. It is directly linked to several chronic illnesses, as well as diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, stroke, and arteriosclerosis. An astounding two billion adults are overweight, with 650 million being obese, according to the World Health Organization. More than one billion adults will be overweight by 2025, with an additional 2.7 billion expected to be overweight if current trends continue. People have been using medicinal plants to treat a variety of ailments since ancient times. In recent years, numerous dietary components and natural substances have been investigated for their potential as chemopreventive agents. Additionally, a greater inclination towards conventional treatments was brought on by low patient satisfaction with synthetic drug use, which was exacerbated by the high expense and adverse effects of these prescriptions. There's a rapidly growing trend of using herbs to treat a wide variety of illnesses. The protective benefits of antioxidants derived from natural substances against chemical agent poisoning have received particular focus in recent investigations. Natural antioxidants have been the subject of recent research due to their ability to protect against the toxicity of various contaminants and pathogenic causes. Several phytochemicals act through complementary mechanisms: fenugreek suppresses appetite and regulates lipid levels, green coffee reduces fat absorption and increases glucose balance, piperine enhances fat oxidation and increases curcumin bioavailability, while curcumin counteracts inflammation, oxidative stress, and adipogenesis. Collectively, they offer a multi-targeted strategy for obesity management.