Scientists say that polyphenols that are found in food, herbs and spices are something that can affect one’s gut health in the long run. Polyphenols are usually compounds that are found within some plant-based food that can work as antioxidants within the body and might be useful in protecting against some diseases. Â
A study published by the journal Nutrients, says that certain beneficial microbes like Lactobacillus can increase if a person consumes more polyphenols. It was also observed that participants in the study who consumed this compound had less harmful bacteria. Research suggests that gut health is extremely important since it helps improve digestion, immune function and skin health. A microbiome is a collection of all kinds of microbes like bacteria, fungi, and viruses which naturally occur in our body. Numerous organisms live within our gut and numerous things influence the structure of one’s gut which depends on the environment they live in, foods they consume and medications they might take.Â
Polyphenols majorly occur in plant-based foods and can be seen in tea, chocolates, vegetables and fruits. They are useful in preventing diseases like diabetes and stroke. Researchers also say that this compound helps maintain a healthy gut if a person consumes the right kind of diet. For this study, researchers took 98 participants and to be included within the study they had to take a questionnaire on their eating habits. People with a history of autoimmune disease, celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease were excluded from the study. The researchers measured 29 herbs and other spices that were high in polyphenols. It was noticed that only 6 of herbs, notably black pepper, onion, garlic , cinnamon, ginger and turmeric were the main consumption sources.Â
Among this only cinnamon has a high polyphenol count which is equal to 3000 mg/kg DW. The researchers also noticed behavioral patterns of customers who were medium, high and low consumers of polyphenols. Then they analyzed the 16s of mRNA microbiota genes extracted from the stool of participants. It was concluded that the microbial diversity is consistent among all participants regardless of their consumption of polyphenols. However, researchers found that the bacterium Lactobacillus which helps prevent intestinal damage is in abundance. Â
Thus it can be concluded that people consuming polyphenols regularly can create an improved intestinal environment within their body where pathogenic bacteria are represented in low relative abundance. Overall people who consume polyphenol within their diet have higher levels of beneficial bacteria than those who do not. This fact is not commonly known. Further research and studies are required to know which food groups might help in achieving sync between dietary polyphenols and gut microbiota.Â
Journal Reference – Vita, A. A., Roberts, K. M., Gundersen, A., Farris, Y., Zwickey, H., Bradley, R., & Weir, T. L. (2024). Relationships between Habitual Polyphenol Consumption and Gut Microbiota in the INCLD Health Cohort.
Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/6/773Â
