Polyphenols Promote Health - Found in Whole Fruits and Vegetables

By Lee Ann Orton

There is a super-food we all should include in our diet. Our ancestors stayed healthy by gathering berries and roots which were a huge part of their diet. The berries contain polyphenols which help our bodies stay healthy in so many ways. They help with digestion, keeping arteries clean, energy, metabolism, and much more. Some foods other than berries that are high in polyphenols are dark chocolate, red wine, red cherries, oranges, onions, cloves, apples, teas and coffee. The trick is to stay away from the sugar that is associated with some of these foods. If you can eat them without then they are apt to do your body good. Polyphenols is a class of nutrients and there are many individual varieties which we need. So just eating blueberries won't get you a full spectrum.

Some things to consider about polyphenols would be:

Polyphenols are powerful micronutrients which help boost energy and keep you healthy. These foods containing super-nutrients in brightly colored food include mulberry, grape seed extract and acai fruit.

They are Metabolic-Enhancing and can help you metabolize food better.

They have been known to Help reduce gas & bloating. Their presence in whole foods with much fiber and other nutrients promotes restoring balance to your digestive system.

Polyphenols, powerful antioxidant chemicals found naturally in many plants, are instrumental in protecting our cells from free radical damage, which are often attributed to chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease and dementia.

They're linked to longevity.

Because we all want to live long and prosper, we need to eat a plant heavy diet. This will make sure to get plenty of polyphenols in our diet every day. Because these nutrients don't stay in the body long, our diet needs to get them in at every meal to make a difference in our health. Some people want to just take a supplement to provide them with the things they need to do the job. That is fine, but everyone needs to realize that once a day simply will not cut it. Eating polyphenol rich foods every meal and every snack will provide the biggest boost to the body. It is through delivering a steady stream to the body through the whole day that makes the biggest difference.

Let me say that important point again: Eating polyphenol rich foods every meal and every snack will give the biggest boost to the body. That is what makes the difference.

Some of you may be tempted to find the exact polyphenol count in every given food so you can eat the ones that work best. This might be a waste of time. So just because foods are polyphenol-rich, that fact doesn't always mean you'll benefit from its polyphenols. Many foods have complex mixtures of different polyphenols, thus making it impossible to determine the total impact on the body. Some of these factors include sun exposure, storage, cooking methods and ripeness. These conditions can all affect that count, too. You just really need to focus on eating well all of the time and forget the counting.

There are over 8,000 different types of polyphenols. So you probably won't see the word "polyphenol" available in your grocery store on each bottle of pomegranate juice or apple. It may help to look for labels that include subclasses of polyphenols such as flavonoids, flavonols, and isoflavones.

There are so many of these subclasses and the words may not be familiar to you as you read this. In Wikipedia you will find a good explanation about flavonols that might be helpful. Check Wikipedia for flavonols.

In putting your food together with other foods, be aware that some ingredients will interfere with the absorption of the polyphenols, so it will be wise to not combine them. For instance, the sugar and non dairy creamer added to dark chocolate, coffee and tea are the bad things that keep you from absorbing the good things. Interesting enough, milk is OK.

With citrus, they all are good, but the sweet orange peel contains the highest amount of polyphenols. So add some actual zest to your salads and desserts. The peel is a high source in apples and grapes as well. And, the darker the cherry the higher the polyphenols. They also are way sweeter.

Pay Attention and Eat your way to Health by including Polyphenol Rich Food in EVERY SNACK AND EVERY MEAL. It is fine to get these nutrients in supplements but make sure you are taking them at every meal and every snack to do your body good.

Lee Ann Orton, Author email:  juicersaj@gmail.com

BS, Homemaking Education 1968, Brigham Young University.

VP Orton Online Solutions Inc., Certified Creative Healer,

Writer for Web blog URL: http://1o80.com