Strong new evidence has emerged supporting the notion that polyphenols really do boost heart health. These biotic compounds are found in a wide variety of common foods. And they’re also associated with a wide range of other health benefits…
What are polyphenols, anyway?
They’re officially described as ‘naturally occurring plant compounds associated with a wide range of health benefits, including support for the heart, brain, and gut’.
Common foods that contain polyphenols include tea, coffee, berries, cocoa, nuts, whole grains and olive oil.
The study
A team from King’s College London tracked more than 3,100 adults from the TwinsUK cohort for more than ten years. For the first time, the researchers also assessed a large set of urine metabolites that appear when the body processes polyphenols.
To better understand dietary patterns, the researchers used a newly designed polyphenol dietary score (PPS). This score reflects intake of 20 common polyphenol-rich foods.
What they found
The PPS demonstrated stronger links to cardiovascular health than estimates of total polyphenol intake.
They found that diets rich in certain groups of polyphenols were linked to healthier blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which contributed to lower CVD risk scores.
“Our findings show that long-term adherence to polyphenol-rich diets can substantially slow the rise in cardiovascular risk as people age,” Professor Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, senior author and Professor of Human Nutrition, said. “Even small, sustained shifts towards foods like berries, tea, coffee, nuts, and whole grains may help protect the heart over time.”
The takeaway
Higher intake of polyphenol-rich foods was linked to better heart health and slower increases in cardiovascular risk during aging. Metabolite analysis confirmed the protective effects of key plant compounds like flavonoids and phenolic acids.
My take
This is the first in-depth, long-term study specificaly dedicated to measuring the heart-health bene-fits of polyphenols. It confirmed that those who ‘consistently ate polyphenol-packed diets had healthier blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as lower predicted cardiovascular risk’.
Who in their right mind wouldn’t add more polyphenol-rich foods to their diet?
~ Maggie J.