DNA from yarrow and chamomile plants was found in the dental calculus of a Neanderthal who had a tooth infection and gut infection, indicating these plants were present in their mouth, possibly due...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
Someone with a tooth infection and stomach sickness ate plants that naturally fight germs and reduce swelling. Those plant chemicals worked inside the mouth and gut to slow down the bad microbes, helping the person feel less sick even without modern drugs.
Most probable mechanism
When someone eats plants with natural antimicrobial chemicals, those compounds enter the mouth and gut, where they kill or slow down harmful microbes causing infection. This reduces swelling and discomfort, helping the body cope with illness even without modern medicine.
Bioactive compounds from ingested plants, including salicylic acid derivatives and fungal metabolites, are released in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract during digestion.
These compounds directly inhibit the growth of pathogenic microbes, including bacteria causing dental abscesses and microsporidian parasites in the gut.
Reduction in microbial burden decreases local tissue inflammation and immune activation in the mouth and intestines.
Chronic colonization by commensal and pathogenic microbes persists in the oral biofilm, but the presence of plant-derived compounds alters the microbial ecosystem to favor reduced virulence.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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Neanderthal behaviour, diet, and disease inferred from ancient DNA in dental calculus
Contradicting (0)
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Gold Standard Evidence Needed
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