Polyphenols are plant metabolites with powerful anti-inflammatory properties. How they work has been a bit of a mystery…
Unlike vitamins and minerals that can be measured in the blood, only a small fraction of polyphenols make it to the bloodstream.
Instead, ingested polyphenols undergo metabolic transformations in the gut and liver. In the gut, they alter the microbiome, which in turn alters the composition of secondary metabolites in the colon, which are absorbed and affect metabolic and cognitive functions.
Evidence of the health benefits of polyphenols continues to mount, including:
- Better brain health
- Improved blood sugar regulation
- Lower blood pressure
- Better blood flow
- Healthier weight
Now, a new study further strengthens the link between polyphenols and cardiovascular health, specifically calling out which foods you should add to add to your diet…
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Protecting heart health as we age
A team from King’s College London tracked more than 3,100 adults from the TwinsUK cohort for more than 10 years.
The researchers found that diets rich in certain groups of polyphenols were associated with healthier blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which, in turn, contributed to lower cardiovascular disease risk scores.
Using twins in studies helps separate genetic from environmental influences. Because twins share nearly identical DNA, they act as controls to isolate, in this case, a diet’s impact.
There were other unique aspects to the study: For the first time, the team assessed a large set of urine metabolites produced when the body processes polyphenols.
These biomarkers showed that people with higher levels of polyphenol metabolites — especially those linked to flavonoids, phenolic acids and tyrosols (think, olive oil) — had lower cardiovascular risk scores. They also tended to have higher levels of HDL, the “good” kind of cholesterol.
Another difference between this and other polyphenol studies is the way in which polyphenol consumption was measured…
To better understand dietary patterns, the researchers used a newly developed polyphenol dietary score, the PPS-D. The score reflects intake of 20 common polyphenol-rich foods, including berries, coffee, nuts, olive oil, tea and whole grains.
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Specific foods strongly linked to favorable cardiovascular profiles
Among components measured by PPS-D, tea, coffee and red wine — the primary sources of phenolic acids and flavonoids, along with other polyphenols and stilbenes — were particularly linked with more favorable cardiovascular profiles. So were berries, garlic, nuts, onions, peppers and whole grains.
“This research provides strong evidence that regularly including polyphenol-rich foods in your diet is a simple and effective way to support heart health,” says Dr. Yong Li, first author of the study. “These plant compounds are widely available in everyday foods, making this a practical strategy for most people.”
Although cardiovascular risk increases with age, the researchers note that participants with higher polyphenol intake experienced a slower rise in risk across the 11-year follow-up period. They also emphasized the importance of future dietary intervention trials to confirm and expand on these findings.
“Our findings show that long-term adherence to polyphenol-rich diets can substantially slow the rise in cardiovascular risk as people age,” says senior author Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, a professor at King’s College London. “Even small, sustained shifts towards foods like berries, tea, coffee, nuts, and whole grains may help protect the heart over time.”
If you want to protect your heart health as you age, it may be a good idea to add the foods mentioned above to your diet, especially those rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids.
Sources:
Scientists reveal a powerful heart boost hidden in everyday foods — ScienceDaily
Higher adherence to (poly)phenol-rich diet is associated with lower CVD risk in the TwinsUK cohort — BMC Medicine
How should we assess the effects of exposure to dietary polyphenols in vitro? — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
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