Contents:
- Medical Video: 20 Foods High In Polyphenols - List
- Polyphenols are one of the important reasons why we have to eat vegetables and fruit
- What are the benefits of polyphenols for health?
- 1. Prevent the growth of cancer cells
- 2. Prevent heart disease
- 3. Prevent diabetes
- What foods contain polyphenols?
Medical Video: 20 Foods High In Polyphenols - List
You may often hear polyphenols as compounds contained in vegetables and fruit. This compound may often be called when you read about the benefits of vegetables and fruit for health. However, what exactly is polyphenols? What are the benefits of polyphenols for health?
Polyphenols are one of the important reasons why we have to eat vegetables and fruit
Polyphenols are phytochemical compounds that are naturally contained in plants. This compound provides various colors in food. Not only that, polyphenols also function to protect plants from danger.
Not only is it able to protect plants, polyphenols that enter our bodies are also able to protect body cells from damage caused by free radicals. That is why, polyphenols can act as antioxidants in the body.
You can find these compounds in fruits, vegetables and cereals naturally. Fruits, such as grapes, apples, pears, cherries and berries contain polyphenols up to 200-300 milligrams (mg) per 100 grams. Sufficient amount can protect your body cells from damage. This is one reason why eating lots of vegetables and fruit is very important.
What are the benefits of polyphenols for health?
No kidding, the benefits of polyphenols are very much for health. In fact, according to many studies, regular consumption of high-polyphenol foods for a long time can protect the body from the development of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. For more details, refer to the following complete information.
1. Prevent the growth of cancer cells
Antioxidants in polyphenols can protect the body from the dangers of free radicals, which can be a cause of cancer. You can get free radicals from anywhere, such as pollution, cigarette smoke, food, even your own body also produces free radicals.
Types of polyphenols, such as catechins, lignans, resveratrol, quercetin, and curcumin, have been shown to be anticancer agents. Polyphenols can also be an antiproliferation, anti-inflammatory, and prevent oxidation agent in an effort to prevent cancer.
2. Prevent heart disease
A number of studies have shown that consumption of polyphenols can prevent coronary heart disease, as quoted from the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. This might happen because polyphenols can help improve blood vessel function and help slow blood clots.
In addition, polyphenols can also be an inhibitor of bad fat oxidation, so the formation of atherosclerosis which causes heart disease can be hampered. The antioxidant, antiplatelet, and anti-inflammatory effects of polyphenols can also help prevent you from heart disease.
3. Prevent diabetes
Eating foods that contain polyphenols can make your blood sugar levels more controlled. This is done by polyphenols by inhibiting the absorption of glucose in the intestine. Several studies have also reported that polyphenols have antidiabetic properties.
One of them is a study published in Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology in 2005, which showed that polyphenol compounds such as catechins in tea can protect you from the development of diabetes complications. Not only ketekin, other types of polyphenols, such as resveratrol and quercetin can also act as antidiabetic agents.
What foods contain polyphenols?
Polyphenols can be grouped into four types, namely phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbene (resveratrol), and lignans. Each vegetable and fruit may contain one of the four types of polyphenols. For example, grapes, berries, kiwi, apples, and cherries that contain phenolic acids.
Polyphenols are commonly found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables, such as red, orange, yellow, purple, white, and green. This is because polyphenol compounds are responsible for giving color to fruits and vegetables.
Not only vegetables and fruit, other foods such as green tea and dark chocolate also contains polyphenols with types of flavonoids. This compound makes green tea and dark chocolate beneficial for health. In addition, various nuts also contain different types of polyphenols.
