2. Gut Health
The importance of intestinal health to your physical and emotional well-being cannot be overstated (3).
As much as 95 percent of your body’s serotonin (your brain’s happiness neurotransmitter) and as much as 80 percent of your immune system is derived directly from your intestines (4,5). Those numbers are huge! So, what do polyphenols have to do with this?
When talking about gut health, we’re referring to the microbiome contained in your intestines. This is all of the good and healthy bacteria that helps break down food, absorb nutrients, and even aid in the production of chemicals and compounds your body needs (like serotonin) (6).
Polyphenols serve as a food source for your good bacteria. With the right food source, the beneficial bacteria can multiply, keeping out bad bacteria that contribute to illness and infections.
Have trouble losing weight? Suffer from stomach issues? Depressed? Try looking inside your body first, and you may be able to heal yourself from the inside out.
3. Rich in Antioxidants
Polyphenols are actually a type of antioxidant – the most common type in the human diet. Antioxidants is the generic term for any chemical compound that fights against free radical damage. Free radicals are byproducts of certain processes in the body.
The issue with free radicals is that they can cause damage to DNA and the instructions within it by stealing electrons from anything near them (7). This is called oxidative stress and can lead to a host of health problems, cancer included.
Antioxidants provide free radicals with a source of electrons to steal from without damaging cells. Studies have found that reducing oxidative stress and free radical damage through a healthy diet may also reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
4. Cancer Prevention
As mentioned above, polyphenols are important for reducing free radical damage that can lead to cancer. In addition to preventing against oxidative stress, polyphenols have shown promising results against inflammation and cancer cell growth. The mechanisms of these actions are still being studied, but the effects are clear: polyphenols have anti-cancer effects (8).
There is a caveat: polyphenols seem to react differently depending on the type of cancer. Polyphenols seem to have a preventative effect on bladder and lung cancers (9,10).
Consuming a polyphenol-rich diet is also associated with a lower risk of breast, endometrial, ovarian, prostate, and esophageal cancers (11,12,13,14,15).
In other cases – such as with gastric cancers – polyphenols may also increase the survival rates of those recovering from cancer.
Studies also found that not all polyphenols are the same: certain polyphenols were more effective at preventing against certain types of cancers. Some polyphenols have no impact, while others are remarkably effective. For example: the polyphenols in turmeric, green tea, and red grapes show incredible anticancer activity for both prostate and HPV-related cancers (16,17).
5. Reduce Inflammation
Inflammation has an important role in the body: it lets you know when there’s an illness or injury present. Inflammation brings healing white blood cells to the area, often accompanied by swelling with lymphatic fluid. For temporary illness and injury, this is a good thing. However, chronic inflammation can be a sign of a bigger problem – such as an autoimmune disease (18).
Some health problems are even directly related to chronic inflammation, from something as simple as hay fever and tooth/gum problems, to conditions as serious as cancer and heart disease.
Polyphenols have powerful anti-inflammatory properties – some more than others. For example: cocoa polyphenols are particularly effective in reducing inflammation in those at risk for (or that already have) heart disease (19).
Polyphenols from wheat grains (such as in beer or whole grain breads) have shown anti-inflammatory properties in clinical trials for digestive health. For best results (and a better overall diet) consume a variety of polyphenol-rich foods (20).
6. Help Control Blood Pressure
When it comes to the benefits of polyphenols, its effects on high blood pressure is perhaps one of the most well-studied. Clinical research on the subject seems to indicate that some polyphenols help lower blood pressure by relaxing blood vessel walls; others work by improving the condition of endothelium and blood vessel walls (21).
Resveratrol, a polyphenol found in red grapes, seems to be among the most effective for reducing blood pressure (22).
Another meta-study review of 13 different trials found that drinking green tea (which is very rich in polyphenols) daily helped reduce blood pressure significantly. Other polyphenol-rich food options for reducing blood pressure include olive oil, strawberries, and oranges. Consider adding all of these to your regular diet if you have high blood pressure or a family history of heart disease. (23,24,25)