School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan Zhengzhou University, Luohe 462300, China
†† These authors contributed equally to this work.
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Highlights
(1) The environment can affect the structure and contents of active components in Food and Medicine Homology (FMH) substances.
(2) FMH substances can transmit their own information to the body through dietary intervention, so as to improve environmental adaptability of the body.
(3) As a medium, FMH participates in the mutual adaptation between the environment and body.
Graphical Abstract
The natural environment or artificially induced environment can affect the contents and structures of the food and medicine homology (FMH) active substances. As a carrier, the FMH substances participate in the mutual adaptation of environment. The FMH substances that carry information about special environmental experiences can transmit "signals" to the body, thereby improving the body’s adaptability in special environments.
Abstract
Food intake is a major way for the body to obtain materials, energy, and information from the external environment. Food and medicine homology (FMH) substances as food not only contain abundant nutrients, but also carry various bioactive components to promote human health. The special functional factors derived from FMH substances under specific environmental conditions can significantly impact the body’s adaptability. Understanding the complex relationships among environment, FMH substances, and organisms, including the active components of FMH under different environments and their influence on the mechanisms of adaptation to extreme environments, is critical. In this review, the effects of environmental factors on the content and structure of the active components in FMH were comprehensively summarized and discussed, also the effects of FMH on the adaptation of the body to extreme environments. Furthermore, the insights into potential future research directions in the field of FMH and environmental adaptation were provided. This review summarizes the effects of FMH on the body from an environmental perspective and offers new references and insights for the development of FMH.
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