A century of research shows eating these compounds can help protect against heart disease and Alzheimer's
Perhaps the word “polyphenol” means little to you, but they certainly mean a lot to your health. Polyphenols are a family of chemical compounds present in foods of vegetable origin and seaweed that have been studied over the last century for their health effects.The beginning: taste and technologyUses date back to Ancient Egypt, when chemicals in the bark of certain trees were found to bind with the collagen in animal skin, making leather.
Perhaps the word “polyphenol” means little to you, but they certainly mean a lot to your health. Polyphenols are a family of chemical compounds present in foods of vegetable origin and seaweed that have been studied over the last century for their health effects.
The beginning: taste and technology
- Uses date back to Ancient Egypt, when chemicals in the bark of certain trees were found to bind with the collagen in animal skin, making leather.
- This sensation, known as astringency, comes from the interaction between tannins and salivary proteins in your mouth.
Natural antioxidants
- Polyphenols are natural antioxidants, which means they can counteract harmful free radicals in the body.
- When animals eat a plant, the polyphenols’ antioxidant properties then in turn counteract free radicals in the animal’s body.
- This antioxidant effect from foods is important for human health, since many diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes, etc.)
Much more than antioxidants
- This happened when several studies found that, once consumed, polyphenols are transformed by our bodies, mostly by our gut microbiota.
- But the good news was that, besides their antioxidant activity, polyphenols were also discovered to have many more properties.
- This has not only been observed in test tubes, but also in multiple clinical trials in different populations.
The gut-brain axis
- Although much more research is still needed, some promising evidence shows that polyphenols may also help our cognitive function and improve our sleep.
- There is, however, something known as the gut-brain axis.
- This new field of research is very much in its infancy, with much left to be explored.
The future for polyphenol research
- We have come a long way in our knowledge of dietary polyphenols over the last century.
- Hopefully, we will have answers to some of these questions in years to come.
- Jara Pérez Jiménez ha recibido, como investigadora principal, fondos en los últimos cinco años del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España) y la Comisión para la Uva de la Mesa de California.
- Margaret Slavin has received, as principal investigator, funding over the past five years from the United States Department of Agriculture, George Mason University, and the American Egg Board/Egg Nutrition Center.