Polyphenols – What and Why

You know how the doctor or nutritionist says that you should eat more fruits and vegetables because they are good for you? Well, it’s not just because they are good for your digestion. It’s largely because of the nutrients and polyphenols in these plants.

Your body always needs both macro and micro nutrients to function optimally, fight off diseases, get the appropriate nutrition, boost your immune system, eliminate free radicals, slow down the aging process, reduce inflammation which is one of the top 3 causes of ailments and stay in top shape.

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One of the major micronutrients it requires are polyphenols which are readily found in plants -veggies and fruits most especially. You’ll also find them in cocoa, red wines and dried spices too.

Types of Polyphenols

Presently, there are about 8,000 identified polyphenol compounds in nature.

All these are broadly categorized into the following types:

• Phenolic Acid –these are usually found in teas, coffee, apples, plums, kiwi, cherries and blueberries.
• Stilbenes –commonly found in peanuts and red wines. This is also a major source of resveratrol.
• Flavonoids –found in green tea, red wine, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids are usually present as flavones, isoflavones, flavanones, flavonols, catechins, chalcones and anthocyanidins.
• Lignans -you’ll often find these in cereals, legumes, flax seeds, algae, fruits, veggies and grains.

All of these combined together work to provide the benefits we will be listing shortly. Please note that right now, there’s no reason to believe that one polyphenol type is better or more effective than the others.

This is why we would recommend that you take as much of these as you can find. Think of it this way: the more polyphenols you can eat and drink, the better your overall health and well-being.

6 Proven and Powerful Benefits of Polyphenols

Reduced Risk of Inflammation

Most people don’t know this, but inflammation can be the absolute number one enemy to your well-being and health. Doubt it? What causes pain? Inflammation. When you have a swelling in the body, what’s it called? Inflammation.

It’s the way the body responds to infection, stress, injury and extreme discomfort. It’s often referred to as the biggest health issue no one has heard of. Left unchecked, it can do untold harm to your body.

It has been linked to depression, slows down weight loss, causes respiratory distress, skin blemishes, neck and lower back pain, contributes to gum disease, is linked to heart disease, increases your risk of developing cancer and can interfere with your sleep.

Polyphenols have antioxidative properties that help combat inflammation and eliminate free radicals in the body. A combination of these two play a significant role in keeping inflammations.

Stabilizes Blood Sugar and Fat Metabolism

According to the latest data from the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), about 29 million Americans are living with diabetes and one in four of them don’t know they have diabetes.

Another 84 million Americans have Prediabetes –that’s a condition where an individual’s blood sugar is pretty high, but not enough to be categorized as types 2 diabetes.

People in this category can reverse this condition by simply engaging in moderate physical exercise, weight loss and healthy eating.

But because they don’t even know that they are prediabetic, it is estimated that 15-30 percent will upgrade to diabetes within 60 months. Polyphenols can help with the weight loss and healthy eating part.

It is capable of stabilizing your blood sugar levels, increasing your fat metabolism, lowering your body’s resistance to insulin so that your pancreas can quickly breakdown blood sugar and restore them to regular levels.

As a result, there’s a possibility that it will aid in the averting common health conditions associated with diabetes. Some of these include retinopathy, neuropathy and cardiovascular disease.

May Play a Role in the Prevention of Cancer

Cancer is one of the world’s biggest pandemics since the dawn of time. It is not more prevalent than it’s ever been since the beginning of history and is currently the world’s leading cause of death.

In fact, it is estimated that about forty percent of all Americans will suffer from some sort of cancer.

These are scary stats that will send chill down anyone’s spine. Yet, studies have shown that it’s possible to lower these odds by simply adopting a few lifestyle changes. One of these is incorporating more polyphenols into your diet.

Studies have shown that when polyphenols are actively incorporated into your meals, they can actively decrease the risk of developing certain types of cancer, and maybe, cell dell death in certain cases of cancer. They may also help reduce tumor growth by slowing down the rate of spread or metastasis.

Can Prevent and Aid in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in the US, accounting for about 25 percent of all deaths. The CDC estimates it is the leading cause of death among American men and women.

Polyphenols, particularly in the form of flavonoids are particularly effective at aiding your body and keeping your veins, arteries and blood platelets in top shape.

They do this by reducing the incidents of platelet clumping, one of the condition that often precedes heart attacks.

They also help eliminate free radicals that can cause oxidative damage, and trigger inflammation.

May Possibly Lower the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and Early Onset Dementia

Every year, approximately 500,000 people die from Alzheimer’s disease. Simply explained as an advanced form of dementia, about 5 million Americans have the condition. This makes it one of the diseases with very high death rates.

Polyphenols have been linked to helping people with this condition. Please note that this is a bit of long shot seeing as there’s no cure or anything even remotely close to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

The best one can do is try to delay the dementia from starting early. While there are many teams of scientists and researchers working on a possible cure for Alzheimer’s, studies have shown that polyphenols may also play a role in ensuring that the dementia is slowed down as well as reducing the risk of developing the disease.

Aids the Efficiency of Healthy Bacteria in Your Digestive System

Your stomach and entire digestive system is home to a lot of healthy microorganisms. All of these play a critical role in ensuring your survival and overall well-being.

Polyphenols, particularly those from plants are known to aid your digestive system’s efficiency, thus making the good bacteria in your gut stronger and the bad ones weaker.

Best Natural Polyphenol Food Sources

Now that you know all these, chances are you’re probably interested in where you can find polyphenol rich foods.

Well, if you want a more exhaustive list, check this huge list of the top 100 fruits, foods, drinks and vegetables that are incredibly rich in polyphenols. But, if you want a condensed list, we would recommend the following.

Polyphenol Rich Fruits

• Apples –Green and red
• Blackberries
• Blackcurrants
• Dates
• Cranberries
• Apricots
• Kiwi
• Lemon
• Mangoes
• All forms of oranges
• Peach

Polyphenol Rich Vegetables

• Aubergine eggplant
• Garlic
• Celery
• Spinach
• Cabbage
• Sweet potatoes
• Onions
• Parsnip
• Broccoli
• Corn

Polyphenol Rich Nuts and Legumes

• Green peas
• Chick peas
• Almonds
• Peanuts
• Lentils
• Walnuts
• Beans
• Sunflower seeds
• Lentils
• Hazelnuts

Other rich sources of polyphenols include oolong, black, and green tea. You should also include red wines and chocolates in your polyphenol sources.

Best Polyphenol Supplements

Sometimes, people just don’t have the time to prepare, make or cook these rich polyphenol sources. They also don’t have the time to enjoy a full meal when they are on the go.

Let’s be honest, sourcing these polyphenol rich fruits, vegetables and drinks can take considerable time and effort. And when you’re busy, it can quickly become a chore.

It is not surprising therefore, that most people opt for sandwiches, hotdogs and burgers because they are literally fast foods that they can scarf down while they are incredibly busy.

It’s also part of the reasons why more people are dying from nutrition based health conditions than ever before.

If you are busy, don’t have the time to go to the farmer’s market or go grocery shopping for these polyphenol rich foods, the following polyphenol rich supplements will serve as placeholders indefinitely.

We recommend though that you get the raw and fresh forms as soon as you can. Raw and processed/packaged aren’t often the same as you lose some potency during the transfer/conversion.

BRI Nutrition Resveratrol

If you are looking for a 100 percent source of resveratrol in capsule forms, this is the supplement to check out.

Each bottle contains 30 1200mg extra strong resveratrol capsules, with each capsule containing 600mg of resveratrol.

And because it is made from the finest ingredients, you really cannot go wrong with this polyphenol rich supplement.

While it contains a large quantity of polyphenols, it also contains many other ingredients such as the powerful quercetin, green tea, pomegranates and many other antioxidant agents.

Bottom line, this powerhouse supplement is meant to do phenomenal damage to the free radicals in your body, boosting your immune system, and reducing your chances of developing any one of those common prevalent diseases and providing you with an overall sense of amazing well-being.

Users have recorded results like increased energy levels (with less free radicals swimming around in your body, your energy levels are bound to skyrocket), improved recovery from stroke after getting on the capsules, increased sense of total and whole body well-being, increased weight loss and lower blood sugar levels if one or more of these are your goals, you should get this super supplement.

WIN Health Institute Super Antioxident

Another polyphenol supplement, WIN Health Institute Super Antioxident is a proprietary fruit blend that boasts of an amazing collection polyphenols, sterols that are mean to keep your heart in top shape, and antioxidants to slough off the free radicals and curb inflammation. Some people take it as a post-workout supplement. But, you don’t have to workout before taking this.

Polyphenols Review Summary

These two listed supplements are top in their class and some of the best in the market. Please note however, that all these have to be taken in addition to making the necessary life changes that will help you live healthier and stay stronger.

You probably wouldn’t be doing your arteries, veins and blood sugars any good if you still consume tons of junk foods and drink a liter of soda in 1 hour.

You need to make the necessary lifestyle adjustments to get the most benefits out of these polyphenol rich foods, fruits, drinks and vegetables.

Eat healthier, drink more responsibly, cut down on your sugar intake, drink more water and start exercising frequently to live longer and healthier.

This is to your success and living in excellent health from this point forward.

This article was partially condensed from SupplementPolice.com for Dr. David Jensen

Tags: Diet, Nutrition, Polyphenols