What are plant polyphenols and how can they improve my health?
We all know we should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, as they contain gut-healthy fibre and a massive array of vitamins and minerals, which keep the body’s biological processes ticking over and help our immune system fight infection and age-related decline. However, less is commonly known about the essential role played by plant polyphenols when we consume these.
There are many thousands of different types of these plant compounds, and scientific research is uncovering previously unknown health benefits of plant polyphenols all the time. So what are plant polyphenols? Well, it’s an umbrella term used to describe ‘secondary metabolites’ in our plant-based food, and includes phenolic acids, coumarins, flavonoids, stilbenes and lignans. All of these are massively beneficial to human health and can help our bodies in quite staggering ways.
So let’s take a look at six examples of plant polyphenols and see the magic they can do….
Lignans are commonly found in Seeds and Whole Grains. They’re particularly high in Flax Seeds and Sesame Seeds. Lignans are phytoestrogens, which can act as a kind of natural hormone replacement therapy, and reduce menstrual symptoms in women while lessening acne in men. Lignans can lower the risk of cancer, protect your heart, help clean the gut, and reduce our levels of bad cholesterol.
Surtuins are a type of protein that regulate the ageing and death of cells and their resistance to stress. Resveratrol, a plant polyphenol found in Peanuts, red wine, Blueberries and Pistachio Nuts, among many others, is a molecule which essentially mimics the effect of sirtuins. The geneticist David Sinclair has called resveratrol the closest thing to a ‘wonder molecule’ that exists and has speculated it’ll help people extend their lifespan to 150 years by the end of this century. You can hear the cell biologist Dr. Rhonda Patrick discussing resveratrol here.
Quercetin is a member of the group of plant polyphenols known as flavonoids. It’s found in many foods, including Apples, Broccoli, Onions and Berries. Research has uncovered some stunning benefits to human health from quercetin, mainly stemming from its immense antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects – it’s brilliant for heart health and for cancer prevention, as well as showing a lot of promise in the treatment of arthritis and bladder complications. This Korean research paper also showed that quercetin may be useful in the management of diabetes and prevention of diabetic complications.
Epigallocatechin Gallate (also known as EGCG) is a catechin, a type of plant compound that plays an extremely important role in regulating gut health and protecting against cancer. EGCG is found in very decent amounts in Green Tea as well as other foods such as Berries and Pecan Nuts. It acts as a powerful antioxidant fighting the damage caused by oxidative stress in the body. There’s also very strong evidence that EGCG promotes weight loss – this study from 2003 showed that regular consumption of green tea was associated with a lower percentage of total body fat, smaller waist circumference and decreased waist-to-hip ratio.
Curcumin is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant plant compounds in existence. It’s the main active ingredient in the spice Turmeric, which has been used in both Ayurvedic medicine and South Asian cuisine for many thousands of years. It’s brilliant for your brain, and studies suggest it may prevent Alzheimer’s Disease. It can have massive benefits for the health of your heart and blood vessels, and there’s increasing evidence it can help fight depression too. Also, many research studies such as this one from 2001 illustrate the vital cancer-fighting properties of this wonder-compound. However, as the proportion of curcumin in turmeric is around 2-4%, you’d need to eat a huge amount of jalfrezi to reap the benefits! For this reason, it’s wise to take curcumin supplements, and at the same time to ensure you consume plenty of Black Pepper, as its active ingredient piperine makes the curcumin drastically more ‘bioavailable’, ie. it enables your body to reap the benefits.
We’ve added this one for all you chocolate lovers out there! Epicatechin is one of a subgroup of flavonoids called flavanols, and as well as Chocolate, Cocoa and Cacao, it’s also found in Green Tea and Grapes. Epicatechin supports healthy blood flow and ensures your muscles and organs get all the oxygen they need to function at their peak. There’s also massive evidence that it’s a potent anti-cancer agent – this paper published in May 2021 proved that it causes the death of cancer cells in patients with breast or prostate cancer. So don’t go mad with the chocolate, and always try to choose one with low-sugar and high cocoa solids – but go on, have a square or two today!
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