Herbs, spices, grains, legumes, nuts, fruit, berries, vegetables... are rich in chemical compounds: polyphenols. These health promoting compounds are often at the heart of many so-called superfoods. Those consuming diets rich in polyphenols (these are plant forward diets) have better long-term health outcomes and there is growing evidence for their beneficial effects in combating cancer.
To see the collection of studies (that we will add to when new research is published), scroll down to bottom of page. If you have any suggestions of other studies to include, add them in the Comments section, also at bottom of page.
Polyphenols are not a magic pill. They should be part of a healthy eating pattern and lifestyle.
To get the benefits of polyphenols, we enjoy using a whole food approach. What does this mean? At a minimum, enjoying fruit, nuts and seeds on a daily basis. Consuming herbs and spices. Prioritising as wide variety of foods as possible: vegetables, whole grains and legumes.
Benefits come from daily eating, daily living - over the course of time. Some may prefer a Western, Mediterranean diet; others a similarly plant forward Asian diet. Be wary of using supplements where the evidence, safety, quality of manufacture or formulation is not as strong as the marketing behind them.
As ever, please talk to your doctor or medical practitioner most familiar with your medical history before implementing any changes in diet, exercise or lifestyle, especially if you are under treatment.
Have specific polyphenol questions? Try the online Phenol-Explorer. The database "contains more than 35,000 content values for 500 different polyphenols in over 400 foods. These data are derived from the systematic collection of more than 60,000 original content values found in more than 1,300 scientific publications."
Stay Healthy,
Alastair
Scroll down to see the studies.
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Cancer
Fagundes MA, Silva ARC, Fernandes GA, Curado MP. Dietary Polyphenol Intake and Gastric Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Nov 29;14(23):5878. doi: 10.3390/cancers14235878. PMID: 36497359; PMCID: PMC9737802.
Liu Z, Fei YJ, Cao XH, Xu D, Tang WJ, Yang K, Xu WX, Tang JH. Lignans intake and enterolactone concentration and prognosis of breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Cancer. 2021 Mar 10;12(9):2787-2796. doi: 10.7150/jca.55477. PMID: 33854638; PMCID: PMC8040718.
Aune D, Keum N, Giovannucci E, Fadnes LT, Boffetta P, Greenwood DC, Tonstad S, Vatten LJ, Riboli E, Norat T. Dietary intake and blood concentrations of antioxidants and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer, and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018 Nov 1;108(5):1069-1091. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy097. PMID: 30475962; PMCID: PMC6250988.
Yu Y, Jing X, Li H, Zhao X, Wang D. Soy isoflavone consumption and colorectal cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2016 May 12;6:25939. doi: 10.1038/srep25939. PMID: 27170217; PMCID: PMC486432
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