Fruits and beverages like black and green teas are the main sources of polyphenols. In fact, several thousand molecules having polyphenol structures have been found in higher plants. Several hundred of these sources are also found in edible plants.
Although many foods have polyphenols, due to soil type and exposure to the sun these complex mixtures are often poorly characterized.
Another concern: The method of preparation has a marked effect on a food’s polyphenol content. Because polyphenols are found in higher concentrations in the outer parts of fruits and vegetables, peeling alone can eliminate a significant portion of its beneficial value. Also, cooking may cause fruits and vegetables to lose most of their polyphenol content. What happens to onions and tomatoes when they are cooked?
Manufacturers and researchers have become much more interested in polyphenols because of the way they work to modulate the activity of wide amounts of enzymes and cell receptors. These entities also recognize the anitoxidant properties of polyphenols, their abundance in our diets and their role in preventing diseases associated with oxidative stress, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurogenerative disease.
Researchers also found how another micronutrient, carotenoids, may play a significant role in the origins of breast cancer, the second leading cause of death among women in the Western world. Though there has been intense interest in carotenoids and their effect on breast cancer prevention, these cancer-preventing mechanisms are not completely understood. Why?
Caroteinoids include an array of substances that address different biological properties.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition May 2004 79(5)727-747 (Free Full Text Article)
Many of you have likely read my past articles about resveratrol and the major benefits of blueberries in brain aging, merely two examples of a broader group of antioxidants found in the deeply pigmented parts of many whole foods. While there is much information out there about these antioxidants, I was pleased to read this comprehensive review about polyphenols in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
If you have a fraction of the interest I do about one of the most exciting developments in nutritional medicine, you may want to buy the 21-page PDF of this piece.
However, merely taking polyphenol supplements out of the context of a healthy diet will not provide as large a benefit, so keep on consuming the fresh and raw fruits and vegetables to obtain these health-producing substances.
Also, the type of bacteria that you have growing in your gut will frequently modify these nutrients so they can be better used. Avoiding sugars and processed foods will allow you to optimize the health of your intestinal flora and thus maximally benefit from polyphenols. My favorite polyphenols come from blueberry and cherry capsules that I now take prior to every run. They are whole extracts so they have the entire range of polyphenols present in the original fruit, but virtually none of the insulin-raising sugar.
Also, I understand many of you rush through your day and don’t have the time it takes to prepare quality food, including fruits and vegetables. If this is a problem you may want to reevaluate your priorities. The health of yourself and your family should be very high on your personal list.
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Natural Fruit Preservative Found in Grapes
Blueberries Useful for Preventing Brain Aging
It is Not the Alcohol in Wine That is Beneficial
Why Red Wine May Help Your Heart
Blueberries Reverse Certain Aging Characteristics
Blueberry Glut Might Benefit Your Brain!