Everyone must have heard about antioxidants and some might know about what role they play in our body too, but do you know what food has components of antioxidants? Let me give you one of the finest antioxidants which is Polyphenol.
Polyphenols are naturally occurring components in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, tea, dark chocolate, and wine. They can work as antioxidants, which means they can neutralize harmful free radicals that would otherwise damage your cells and increase your risk of diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Now-a-days diseases like cancer are becoming a curse as COVID and Ebola outbreaks to combat this we need to consume the best antioxidants, and polyphenols is one of the saviors. Polyphenols are also known to lower inflammation, which is thought to be the primary cause of many chronic disorders.
There are varied types of polyphenols, let’s dive into them:
- Flavonoids: They account for roughly 60% of all polyphenols. Examples include quercetin, kaempferol, catechins, and anthocyanins, which can be found in apples, onions, dark chocolate, and red cabbage.
- Phenolic acid: This group accounts for approximately 30% of all polyphenols. Ferulic and chlorogenic acids can be found in coffee and cereal grains. I know the names might scare you a bit, but what to do our body is also complex from within to help it we require polyphenols. Drink Up! Coffee, Teas (Black, Green, Oolong), and Wine
- Polyphenolic amides: This group comprises capsaicinoids in chili peppers and avenanthramides in oats. These are the foods that we can include in our diet on a frequent basis.
- Other polyphenols: Stilbenes can be found in grapes and berries, resveratrol in red wine, ellagic acid in berries, curcumin in turmeric, and lignans in flax seeds, sesame seeds, and whole grains. These can be found in every household, right? It is time to use it mindfully for health betterment
- Herbs & Spices Caraway, Celery seed (dried), Cinnamon, Cloves, Common sage, Curry (powder), Ginger (dried), Mexican oregano, Parsley (dried), Peppermint (dried), Red chicory, Rosemary (dried), Spearmint (dried), Star anise, Sweet basil (dried), and Thyme, everyone knows all of the above mention herbs and spices but today you also get to know what healthy antioxidant they carry right!
Try adding more of the polyphenols into your diet to get that helpful dose of antioxidant for your immune system. Polyphenols are not just antioxidant it also helps our body in different ways such as
Lowers your sugar level:
- Polyphenols may help reduce blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of developing diabetes type 2.
- Polyphenols may slow the conversion of starch into simple sugars, which reduces the chance of blood sugar increases after meals.
- These substances may also help promote the secretion of insulin, a hormone needed to transfer sugar from your bloodstream into your cells and keep your blood sugar levels unchanged.
Helps prevent blood clotting:
- Polyphenols may help lower your chance of getting a blood clot. Blood clots occur when platelets in your bloodstream start to clump together. This mechanism, known as platelet aggregation, helps to avoid excessive bleeding.
- According to one of the studies, polyphenols may help inhibit the platelet aggregation process, hence avoiding the formation of blood clots
Plays their part against cancerous cells:
- May protect against cancer. Research repeatedly correlates plant-based diets to a lower risk of cancer, and many experts believe that polyphenols are partially responsible for this.
- Polyphenols have high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, which are both important for cancer prevention.
Polyphenols acts like a superhero for our gut:
- Polyphenols may help digestion by encouraging the growth of healthy gut bacteria while inhibiting harmful ones.
- For example, data indicates that polyphenol-rich tea extracts can boost the growth of beneficial bifidobacteria.
- Similarly, green tea polyphenols may help fight off hazardous germs including E. Coli, and Salmonella, as well as relieve symptoms of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
By adding some of the food rich in polyphenols in your diet will increase the quality of the food you are eating and will make it worth every bite, whatever kind of food you eat will help you to work efficiently, and only food has the ability to make or break your healthy determination. So, make a way for polyphenols to pop in, in the form of green tea, berries, oats, and apples.
Ready to turn your nutrition from ‘meh’ to ‘wow’? Let Karishmma Chawla sprinkle some personalized magic into your diet. Reach out today for advice that’s as savvy as it is satisfying!
