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Thanks to the polyphenols it contains, just one cup of tea or coffee per day can reduce inflammatory markers in the blood and the higher the total intake of polyphenols, the stronger the anti-inflammatory effect.
In a recent study, a research team from Imperial College London examined the links between polyphenol intake and blood biomarkers of inflammation. The results are published in the “Journal of Nutrition”.
What are polyphenols?
“Polyphenols are secondary plant substances that occur in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables and grains and form a significant proportion of phytonutrients in the human diet,” explain the researchers.
According to experts, polyphenols include phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes and lignans. Common sources of intake include coffee, tea, fruit, vegetables, juices, chocolate and wine.
Positive health effects
High intakes of these phytochemicals have already been linked in previous studies to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, metabolic disorders (including diabetes), general cognitive impairment and dementia, the team reports.
There is also evidence that these effects of polyphenol intake are based on their antioxidant effect or reduced oxidative stress and reduced inflammation.
Effect on systemic inflammation?
To test this, the researchers used data from the British Airwave cohort to analyze possible connections between polyphenol intake and markers for systemic inflammation in the participants' blood.
The participants included 9,008 men and women aged 17 to 74 (average age 42), whose data were included in a cross-sectional analysis, the team explains.
How high was the polyphenol intake?
Based on the participants' dietary information, the researchers estimated their polyphenol intake and also determined the blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen as markers for inflammation.
The average total polyphenol intake was 1,536 milligrams per day, with phenolic acids and flavonoids being the main types of polyphenols consumed, the researchers report. Non-alcoholic drinks, vegetables and fruit were the main sources.
Decrease in inflammatory markers
The data analysis showed that increasing total daily polyphenol intake was associated with a reduction in blood levels of CRP and fibrinogen, according to the research team.
The risk of increased CRP and fibrinogen levels decreased by three and seven percent respectively per unit of polyphenol consumption corresponding to one cup of tea or coffee per day.
Overall, the study confirms the effect of polyphenol intake against systemic inflammation and provides further evidence of the health benefits of these secondary plant substances, the research team concluded. (fp)