From environment to environmental adaptation: Environmental perspectives on the study of food and medicine homology

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.