A new article claims that despite the multitude of studies documenting the positive effects of nutrients in plants called polyphenols in protecting nerves from damage, it would be unwise to assume that these protective effects are also true for Alzheimer's disease and other human health disorders
In the article, researcher Charles Ramassamy and his colleagues in Canada examined the results of more than two hundred laboratory and field studies regarding these substances, which are found in fruits, vegetables, wine, chocolate, coffee, tea and other food products.
Polyphenols are natural chemical compounds produced by plants as by-products of various plant processes. Polyphenolic substances are found in all the plants around us including in their fruits and flowers and among them those that give them their iridescent colors. In the polyphenol family there are over 5000 different compounds.
In the field of research, a number of seemingly unrelated roles are examined that these substances play in the plant. Among the roles: protection against radiation damage, attracting insects for pollination, antioxidants, keeping pests away and more. In studies for human health needs, the properties of polyphenols are tested as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-allergenic, and antioxidant substances.
In the last decade it is common to consume these substances as food additives. Polyphenol substances are divided into different groups such as bioflavonoids (catechins, proanthocyanidins, flavanones, flavanonols, flavones, flavonols), phenolic acids (hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids and more), and encompass a large number of types of compounds. The chemistry of these substances is relatively complicated.
The researchers found plenty of evidence that the polyphenols do protect the nerves from the type of damage that occurs in Alzheimer's disease and other chronic brain diseases. However, the researchers concluded that "it is not entirely clear whether the compounds actually reach the brain in sufficient concentrations and in a biologically active form to obtain positive effects." Final avoidance of this uncertainty can only come after many years of further research, claim the researchers, who include a list of the fifty food products that contain the highest amount of these polyphenols.
