The Power of Plants: A Bouquet for Your Body

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you shouldn’t be surprised that the plant-based industry has been quickly growing during these last few years. With worries about climate change and our resources, many companies now see that the plant-based movement isn’t just a trend – and as a solution, they have been listening to consumers wanting to make a change and help out our beautiful planet. By the end of the decade, the plant-based market is expected to reach new heights of around $160 billion (1).

Luckily The Plug made its debut in 2019, right in the middle of the plant-based movement! From the start, we chose to adopt a plant-based philosophy as we were already aware of how powerful and beneficial plants and herbs can be. While developing our proprietary formula (now dubbed The Plug Blend), there was careful consideration about which plant-based ingredients would be the most effective in terms of recovery. Ultimately, we chose the 13 plants, fruits, and flowers that you all know and love! 

Our unique blend is conveniently compacted into a small bottle with a big punch or – if you’re fan of our pills – two capsules with mighty power! And even though our main area of concern is the liver, we wish to support your overall well-being with the help from our products. Working together, our ingredients give your body the boost and love it needs so that you can stay happy and healthy for a long time. Today, we wish to highlight the prettiest of the bunch – dandelion, honeysuckle flower, and purslane.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) 

Surely everyone knows these whimsical puffballs! The name dandelion is derived from “dent de lion” (which means lion’s tooth) because of the flower’s jagged leaves (2). If you see these leaves, then a yellow flower is most likely to follow, ending in the famous white seed head. 

The yellow part of the dandelion gets its color from beta-carotene, which our bodies naturally convert into vitamin A (3). This vitamin maintains our vision and skin health and strengthens our immune system, while the leftover beta-carotene acts as an antioxidant and provides stability within the metabolic system (3). And what exactly are antioxidants? They stop unstable molecules called free radicals from damaging cells, the consequences of which can cause chronic illnesses (3). Dandelion also receives antioxidant power from polyphenols and flavonoids (4).

According to a study performed on rodents, dandelions were found to be a strong choleretic, a substance that promotes bile production from the liver (5, 6). Choleretics help the body move out waste and break down fats during digestion (6), so if you have an upset stomach, more bile can help remove what’s causing pain and create more space for fresh nourishment. In other words, an empty stomach means that you most likely have an increased appetite and are ready for more essential nutrients for your body to absorb! 

It’s worth noting though that dandelion sap contains latex (2). If you have a latex allergy, please consult your primary care physician before consuming any naturally derived dandelion products or handling any fresh dandelions!

Honeysuckle Flower (Lonicera Japonica) 

This shrub produces exotic and fragrant flowers that range in different colored hues! These beautiful flowers are why they migrated to the United States, later to be seen in flower arrangements and lining forests and highways. But despite honeysuckle’s beauty, it comes with a bite: these shrubs spread at an alarming rate, often overtaking and killing native plant life (7). On the other hand, the flower petals of honeysuckle have chemical compounds with medicinal properties, the most important one being chlorogenic acid, which contains antitumor and antibacterial effects (8).

A 2008 thesis discussed an experiment where honeysuckle extract was used to treat swollen body parts on a rat. While comparing it to common aspirin, results demonstrated that the extract slowed swelling more effectively (8). A similar study done on a rat paw revealed that honeysuckle can prevent the activation of TNF-a (Tumor Necrosis Factor), a protein that begins the process of inflammation around a wound (8). Based on these findings, researchers have deducted that honeysuckle could be an excellent source for treating inflammation-related diseases.

Purslane (Portulaca Oleracea) 

Common purslane is actually anything but common! This sturdy plant can grow anywhere from plant beds to a crack in a sidewalk. With a rapid growth rate, it can grow from a shrub to a small tree; their low maintenance and strength have allowed it to be used for nutritious and medicinal purposes for thousands of years (9). 

The dense leaves of purslane are what is most sought after since they hold a high concentration of linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid (10). Commonly found in seafood, nuts, and canola oil, omega-3s keep your nervous system and heart healthy while lowering your blood pressure (11). They also help create eicosanoids, which are molecules that play big roles in many of your body’s physiological processes (11).

Purslane’s leaves were also shown to have anti-inflammatory and even anti-cancerous properties (12). Using an extract of its leaves, a study found that purslane helped clear out harmful, inflammatory bacteria from the gut, thus relieving symptoms related to functional constipation (13). In another study, purslane extract was used to alleviate colon cancer in mice; the extract was discovered to actively suppress signals responsible for spreading cancerous cells in the colon (12).

Though we at The Plug love purslane, do take note of its high concentration of oxalic acid, which binds calcium and other minerals (9, 14). If you’re susceptible to kidney stones, please consult your primary care physician before consuming a high dose of purslane.

The Perfect Bouquet

These three dazzling flowers in The Plug have proven to be more than just visually pleasing! When combined in a formula such as ours, they touch on areas that may seem minor but are majorly important for your overall health. There is a reason that these flowers have a long history of usage in their respective regions. Continuing to rely on what civilizations have been using for thousands of years and embracing the traditional power of nature provide not only benefits for individuals but also for the environment. By choosing to adopt a plant-based diet or lifestyle, you can make a significant difference to our planet! Even prioritizing small daily adjustments can make an impact – whether you recycle, skip out on animal products every other day, or simply take The Plug, you are doing your part to protect our planet and help out your future self.

The power of plants is really what the plant-based industry is all about. From our current health to our future health to the environment, adopting a plant-based lifestyle seems to be the key to improving all of these. So are you ready to try it out, PlugFAM?

Bibliography

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2. Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale [Internet]. Wisconsin Horticulture | University of Wisconsin-Madison. Available from: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/dandelion-taraxacum-officinale/  

3. Beta-carotene [Internet]. Mount Sinai. Available from: https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/beta-carotene  

4. Fletcher J. 11 Health benefits of dandelion [Internet]. Medical News Today. Updated 2024 July 24. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324083#takeaway  

5. Jin YR, Jin J, Piao XX, Jin NG. The effect of Taraxacum officinale on gastric emptying and smooth muscle motility in Rodents. Neurogastroenterology & Motility [Internet]. 2011 Aug;23(8), 766-e333. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2982.2011.01704.x  

6. Wynn SG, Fougère BJ. CHAPTER 20 - Veterinary Herbal Medicine: A Systems-Based Approach. Veterinary Herbal Medicine [Internet]. 2007:291-409. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978032302998850024X#bib83

7. Invasive Exotic Shrub HONEYSUCKLES MAJOR THREATS TO MIDWESTERN WOODLANDS PRINTED REFERENCES [Internet]. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. 2009. Available from: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/files/2014/11/honeysuckle-pdf.pdf  

8. Shang X, Pan H, Li M, Miao X, Ding H. Lonicera japonica Thunb.: Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of an important traditional Chinese medicine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology [Internet]. 2011 Oct 31;138(1):1-21. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2011.08.016   

9. Common Purslane, Portulaca oleracea [Internet]. Wisconsin Horticulture | University of Wisconsin-Madison. Available from: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/common-purslane-portulaca-oleracea/  

10. Petropoulos SA, Fernandes Â, Arampatzis DA, Tsiropoulos NG, Petrović J, Soković M, et al. Seed oil and seed oil byproducts of common purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.): A new insight to plant-based sources rich in omega-3 fatty acids. LWT [Internet]. 2020 Apr;123. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2020.109099  

11. Punia S, Sandhu KS, Siroha AK, Dhull SB. Omega 3-metabolism, absorption, bioavailability and health benefits–A review. PharmaNutrition [Internet]. 2019 Dec;10. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phanu.2019.100162  

12. Yi S, Jin X, Liu B, Wu P, Xiao W, Chen W. Portulaca oleracea extract reduces gut microbiota imbalance and inhibits colorectal cancer progression via inactivation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Phytomedicine [Internet]. 2022 Oct;105. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2022.154279 

13. Bang KB, Choi JH, Park JH, Lee S, Rho MC, Lee SW, et al. Effect of Portulaca Oleracea L. extract on functional constipation: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Saudi Journal of Gastroenterology [Internet]. 2022 July-Aug;28(4):296-303. Available from: https://doi.org/10.4103/sjg.sjg_400_21  

14. Noonan SC, Savage GP. Oxalate content of foods and its effect on humans. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition [Internet]. 1999 Mar;8(1):64-74. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24393738/