What are polyphenols?
Polyphenols are a class of powerful antioxidants that are thought to be responsible for the French Paradox: the French have a diet relatively high in fat, yet have a decreased incidence of heart disease; this is attributed to the amount of polyphenols present in the grapes used to make French wines.
Polyphenols are antioxidants in plants that many believe have a substantial amount of health benefits. Among the most well known of the polyphenols are the flavonoids, which are a grouping of several thousand individual compounds. These compounds are found together in many different foods, all contributing in a unique way to an individual’s overall health. They are most commonly introduced to the body through the consumption of fruits and vegetables. In addition to flavonoids, other classes of polyphenols include tannins (both condensed tannins and hydrolyzable tannins), and lignins. Each of these polyphenols can be found from many different sources. For example, tannins are prevalent in wines, teas and fruits. Nearly any plant will carry at least some of these polyphenols. Polyphenols work by eliminating free radicals in the body, which are known to cause a number of health problems.
Polyphenols are compounds found in nature. More specifically they are found in plants and provide coloring for some. Their purpose appears to be a potent, natural antioxidant. There are many plants that we consume that contain polyphenols. Concentrations are high in Olive oil and Green Tea and have been the subject of many health articles and promoted to enhance your health. How do Polyphenols work? These antioxidants eliminate free radicals, unstable molecules that are the major cause of both aging and disease, in both plants and humans. Free radicals continually attack the body. Free radicals are a normal product of metabolism and result in a process called oxidation. Polyphenols and other antioxidants, including beta carotene (a vitamin A precursor), vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium, scavenge these free radicals and help to prevent formation of unstable oxygen molecules, known as oxidation.
polyphenolsThere has been a lot of media attention lately on antioxidant’s and there effects on the human body. Studies have already proven that they do have positive benefits for our health and well being, more studies are now going on to see exactly what they are capable off and what kind of doses that you need to achieve the results you desire. Polyphenol is the technical term given to a group of these antioxidant’s that are to be found in most fruit and vegetables in varying quantities. The fruits that contain extremely high levels of polyphenols have been termed superfoods by the scientific community. Such things as the acai berry, Goji berry, blue berry and pomegranate to name a few, are such superfoods. These foods are also normally extremely high in base nutrients that help to support our body’s nutritional needs especially useful in the modern day poor diets that we eat. There are a number of different Polyphenol the most common are tannin’s, lignins and flavoids.
Polyphenols are a class of powerful antioxidants that play an important role in preventing cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart disease, heart failure, and stroke) and that have been shown to reduce harmful LDL cholesterol. Polyphenols are also thought to be responsible for the French Paradox: the French have a diet relatively high in fat, yet have a decreased incidence of heart disease. This is attributed to the amount of polyphenols present in the grapes used to make French wines. Mona Vie products contain a powerful variety of polyphenols, including anthocyanins. It is estimated that Mona Vie products have 20–30 times the amount of anthocyanins found in red wine.
