Natural Products in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Obesity and Cancer—New Insights into Mechanisms and Health Benefits
A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemicals and Human Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 1215
Special Issue Editor
Interests: natural products; cannabis; wasabi; high-fat diet; physiology of the vagus nerve
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
There are a number of epidemics currently affecting people worldwide. However, three of them—cancers, neurodegenerative disorders, and obesity—are global and constitute some of the most significant burdens on healthcare.
Cancers are currently responsible for about 20% of deaths worldwide, and this figure is expected to almost double by 2050. The increase is due to an aging population, population growth, and exposure to risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and air pollution.
According to a 2023 WHO report, approximately 39% of the world's adult population is overweight, and 13% are obese. This means that more than half of the world's adult population is affected by excessive adipose tissue accumulation, making obesity one of the most significant epidemics in human history.
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and various forms of dementia, are devastating conditions that lead to progressive neuronal loss and cognitive decline. Caring for individuals with dementia often results in caregiver burnout and devastates family systems, ultimately resulting in two to three additional people being "affected" by the disease for every person with dementia. The WHO estimates that by 2050, around 120 million people will be directly affected by various forms of dementia, with most living in developing countries where access to healthcare is limited.
Two thousand five hundred years ago, Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. These words remain relevant today. Nearly 20% of modern medicines are derived from substances originating from plants, fungi, bacteria, and microorganisms. The search for new compounds to treat or prevent obesity and neurodegenerative diseases is both a challenge and an obligation for scientists. The history of pharmacy and medicine, along with current research, demonstrates that nature is an inexhaustible source of medicinal substances. We only need to find them.
Dear friends, scientists, Ladies and Gentlemen, let's get to work. The world is waiting impatiently and can only count on us.
Dr. Edyta Mądry
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- obesity
- cancer
- lung cancer
- breast cancer
- colon cancer
- ovarian cancer
- liver cancer
- apoptosis
- neurodegeneration
- metabolic health
- bioactive compounds
- antioxidant
- anti-inflammatory
- neuroprotection
- dyslipidemia
- Alzheimer's
- Parkinson’s
- dementia
- superfoods
- supplements
- healthy fats
- dietary fiber
- probiotics
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