Foods Rich in Polyphenols May Reduce Mortality

BARCELONA, SpainIndividuals who consume a diet rich in foods containing polyphenols, naturally occurring compounds found largely in fruits, vegetables, coffee, tea, nuts, legumes and cereals, reduce their risk of overall mortality by 30% compared to those who consume diets low in polyphenols, according to a recent study published in Journal of Nutrition.

A population sample composed of 807 men and women over the age of 65 from the Ivacchiare in Chianti study, a population-based cohort study of older adults living in the Chianti region of Tuscany, Italy. The researchers evaluated the relationship between total dietary polyphenol (TDP) and total urinary polyphenol (TUP) and all-cause mortality during a 12-year period of the participants.

 During the time of enrollment (1998-2000) TUP concentrations were measured and TDPs were estimated at baseline throughout a validated food frequency questionnaire and the database based on USDA and Phenol-Explorer databases.

During the 12 year follow-up, TUP excretion at enrollment, adjusted for age and sex were greater in participants who survived compared to those 274 (34%) that diet. No significant differences were observed for TDPs. Participants in the highest tertile of TUP at enrolment had a lower mortality rate than those in the lowest, where no significant associations were found between TDP and overall mortality.

In addition to reduced mortality, polyphenols have been shown to reduce elevated homocysteine levels in adults with Alzheimer's disease, possibly reducing the oxidative stress load and benefiting brain health.

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