Beneficial effects of Polyphenols on Gut Microbiome
Polyphenols are micronutrients present in many plant-based foods and beverages. They have antioxidant properties, so they may play a role in preventing many common diseases associated with oxidative stress.
The mutual relationship shared between polyphenols and gut microbiota has been shown to be very beneficial to your overall health. Some studies have shown that polyphenols promote the growth of probiotic bacteria like Bifidobacteriumand Lactobacillus.
Therefore, Polyphenols are considered prebiotics because they feed the Bifidobacteria in your gut. Thereby increasing the population of the bacteria, promoting the health of your gut. The antioxidant properties of some polyphenols also make them great for the treatment of inflammatory based diseases.
Study: Beneficial Effects of Dietary Polyphenols on Gut Microbiota and Strategies to Improve Delivery Efficiency
Preclinical and clinical data suggest that dietary polyphenols present prebiotic properties and exert antimicrobial activities against pathogenic GM, having benefits in distinct disorders. Specifically, dietary polyphenols have been shown ability to modulate GM composition and function, interfering with bacterial quorum sensing, membrane permeability, as well as sensitizing bacteria to xenobiotics.
References:
Amit Kumar Singh, Célia Cabral, Ramesh Kumar, Risha Ganguly, Harvesh Kumar Rana, Ashutosh Gupta, Maria Rosaria Lauro, Claudia Carbone, Flávio Reis, and Abhay K. Pandey
"Beneficial Effects of Dietary Polyphenols on Gut Microbiota and Strategies to Improve Delivery Efficiency"
PMID: 31540270 PMCID: PMC6770155 DOI: 10.3390/nu11092216