§7

FROM THEORY TO PLATE

A Working Grammar

A working dictionary, not a claim of clinical effect. Each of the 61 entries states what a compound is, where a kitchen finds it, the pathway it engages, an honest grade of the evidence, and the culinary handle by which a chef controls it. Tap any row for citations and DOIs.

61

Entries

13

Compound families

25%

Established-grade

20+

Distinct pathways

FIG. A

Entries by compound family

036912PolyphenolsCofactorsAmino AcidsSulfur CompoundsCarotenoidsFatty AcidsMineralsMicrobial (SCFA)TechniquesAlkaloidsPolyphenol-DerivedMetabolic StatesPolyamines

FIG. B

Honest grade of the evidence

  • Established
  • Emerging
  • Mixed
  • Contested
  • Category

TABLE 1

The families at a glance

FAMILYN

Polyphenols

Polyphenols, Resveratrol, Quercetin, Epigallocatechin gallate…

12

Cofactors

Coenzyme Q10, NAD⁺ precursors, α-Lipoic acid, Vitamin K2…

8

Amino Acids

Glycine, Taurine, Leucine, Cysteine…

6

Sulfur Compounds

Sulforaphane, Glucosinolates, Allicin, Indole-3-carbinol…

5

Carotenoids

Lycopene, Lutein & Zeaxanthin, β-Carotene, Astaxanthin…

5

Fatty Acids

Omega-3 EPA / DHA, α-Linolenic acid, Oleic acid, MCT / C8…

5

Minerals

Magnesium, Selenium, Zinc, Iron

4

Microbial (SCFA)

Butyrate, Acetate & propionate, Live cultures, Postbiotic phenolic metabolites

4

Techniques

Char / Maillard, Fermentation, Cut-and-rest, Gentle heat

4

Alkaloids

Capsaicin, Piperine, Theobromine

3

Polyphenol-Derived

Urolithin A, Ellagitannins

2

Metabolic States

β-Hydroxybutyrate, Dietary nitrate

2

Polyamines

Spermidine

1

TABLE 2 — THE LEXICON

Every entry, graded honestly

Grade:
Family:

A WORKED EXAMPLE, FRAMED HONESTLY

A single composed course: a lightly charred brassica — cut and rested before cooking so its Nrf2-linked compound can form, then finished over gentle fire (P9) — set against a walnut-and-pomegranate element chosen because its ellagitannins are the dietary precursor to a mitophagy-linked metabolite (P8), with a spoon of aged, fermented dairy contributing spermidine and acidity (P4, P7), and a bitter herb oil carrying botanical polyphenols (P3), composed within a lighter, lower-glycemic sequence (P11). Every element traces to a principle, and every principle traces to cited biology. What the course does not do is equally important: it does not claim to activate anyone's mitophagy, improve anyone's health, or prevent anything. It is a delicious plate composed on a coherent theory — and that, not a promised outcome, is precisely the claim the cuisine makes.

How a food compound becomes a cellular signal
Figure 2. How a food compound becomes a cellular signal. Dietary compounds and mild culinary stressors act through AMPK and SIRT1 on the master regulator PGC-1α (biogenesis), while mild reactive-oxygen signalling engages Nrf2-dependent antioxidant defence. Schematic; arrows denote influence, not exclusive causation.

TABLE 3 — PLAIN TERMS

The shared vocabulary

The organelles, pathways, compounds, and measures the treatise depends on — defined in plain language.

ATP
Adenosine triphosphate, the cell's energy currency.
Mitokine
A signaling molecule (e.g., FGF21, GDF15) or peptide released under mitochondrial stress that coordinates responses across tissues.
PGC-1α
The master transcriptional coactivator of mitochondrial biogenesis.
AMPK / SIRT1
Energy- and NAD⁺-sensing regulators upstream of PGC-1α.
Nrf2
Transcription factor governing endogenous antioxidant and detoxification responses; activated hormetically.
Hormesis
A biphasic dose–response in which a mild stressor provokes beneficial adaptation while excess is harmful.
Xenohormesis
The cross-species transmission of stress resistance via plant-derived stress compounds.
Mitophagy
Selective clearance of damaged mitochondria; the “clear” motion of quality control.
Autophagy
The cell's self-cleaning and recycling program.
Urolithin A
A gut-derived metabolite of dietary ellagitannins that activates mitophagy.
Spermidine
A dietary polyamine that induces autophagy.
Sulforaphane
An Nrf2-activating compound formed when cruciferous vegetables are cut; heat-sensitive.
β-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB)
The principal ketone body; a fuel that also acts as an HDAC inhibitor and receptor ligand.
Metabotype
An individual's metabolic/microbial phenotype (e.g., urolithin “producer” vs. “non-producer”).
HOMA-IR / HbA1c
A blood index of insulin resistance / a marker of average blood glucose.

·No dish, ingredient, technique, fuel state, or dietary pattern described in this work treats, cures, or prevents any disease. The peer-reviewed science is cited to the researchers who produced it; the culinary theory, the design principles, and the honest line are the founder's.