Polyphenols
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There’s a new buzzword in town when it comes to health: polyphenols. While scientists have been investigating the plant compounds for years, the term has now caught the public imagination – and for good reason.
A growing body of evidence shows that eating a diet high in these clever natural chemicals offers numerous health benefits, improving everything from heart and metabolic health to lowering the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
There is also research that suggests eating more polyphenols can slow down the signs of skin ageing and reduce waist size.
Polyphenols are a group of phytonutrients (though the terms are often and erroneously used interchangeably), naturally occurring chemicals in plants that help to protect them in nature from threats such as insects and UV light, and, as it turns out, also help to protect us when we eat them.
They are found in high concentrations in fruits and vegetables with deep or vivid colours such as beetroot, blackberries, black olives, very red tomatoes and dark, leafy greens. As well as protecting the plant, phytonutrients – including polyphenols – also provide it with a strong pigment. The same is true for strong tastes: the more cough-inducing an extra virgin olive oil, the higher the likely concentration of polyphenols. Tea, coffee and dark chocolate are excellent sources.
Eat More Dark Chocolate!
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Used to drink gallons of tea until acid reflux got the better of me. Coffee doesn’t bother me.
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I love vegetables and have coffee and chocolate every day, so this is good news. (The chocolate is milk chocolate, but never mind that. It's got polyphenols in it, plus a smidge of calcium and protein from the milk. I'm sure my statin will deal with the milk fat.)
