One Diet rich in foods like grapes, strawberry, acai, orange, chocolate, wine and coffee can reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome by up to 23 times – set of hormonal changes and metabolism that increases the risk of the individual developing cardiovascular disease.
This was proven by a study with more than 6,000 Brazilians, the largest in the world to associate the effects of polyphenol consumption-bioactive compounds known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action-in protecting cardiometabolic problems. The results were released at the Journal of Nutrition.
“This is good news for those who like fruits, chocolate, coffee and wine, foods rich in these compounds. Although the relationship between polyphenol consumption and the reduction of the risk of metabolic syndrome was already identified in previous studies, it had never been verified in such a large population [6.378 indivíduos] and over so long [oito anos]. With the result of our research, there is no doubt: promoting rich polyphenol diets can be a valuable strategy to reduce cardiometabolic risk in the population and prevent metabolic syndrome, ”says Isabela Benseñor, professor at the University of São Medical School of Medicine Paulo (FM-USP) and co-author of the article.
The work is part of the Longitudinal Adult Health Study (Elsa-Brasil), which monitors the health of 15,000 civil servants from six universities and research centers in the country since 2008. The initiative has funded by the Ministry of Health and the National Council Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI). Data analysis for the article was done at the USP Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCF), during the postdoctoral of Renata Carnaúba, within the Food Research Center (Forc)-a Research, Innovation and Diffusion Center ( CEPID) from FAPESP.
Among the 6,378 participants analyzed, 2,031 developed the metabolic syndrome. The condition is characterized by the combination of high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, high sugar levels of sugar (hyperglycemia), triglycerides and cholesterol (dyslipidemia). Generally, the diagnosis is given when the individual has at least three of these five factors.
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing in epidemic proportions worldwide. In Brazil, it jumped from 29.6% in 2013 to 33% in 2022, polls previously published.
“We intend to deepen, in future studies, in the role of polyphenols in protection against cardiometabolic diseases. What is known so far are issues related to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant power of these compounds, as well as a possible positive influence on the intestinal microbiota, ”says Benseñor, who coordinates Elsa-Brasil.
Food
There are over eight thousand types of polyphenols already identified in nature, and the best known and studied are phenolic acids (present in coffee and wine), flavonoids (fruits generally, beans and chocolate), lignas (seeds and orange) and the stylibenos (purple grape and red wine).
To identify which substances the research participants regularly consumed, questionnaires were applied. The frequency of 92 foods rich in different polyphenol classes was found. The effects of different cooking and processing methods were taken into consideration to allow accurate measurements to ingest these bioactive compounds.
Based on this analysis, it was concluded that a high consumption of total polyphenols (469 milligrams per day) from different foods decreased by 23% the risk of individuals developing metabolic syndrome compared to those who had more consumption bass (177 mg/d). A similar risk reduction was found for phenolic acid consumption, a specific class of abundant polyphenol in coffee, red wine and teas.
Carnaúba explains that the amount of polyphenols associated with the reduction of the risk of metabolic syndrome refers to the total consumption value of the compound, which is obtained from the ingestion of various foods. “The food variety matters, as one of the justifications for the beneficial effects of polyphenols on health is its ability to modulate intestinal microbiota. This process can stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria, known as probiotic. However, the more diverse the diet and more varied are the sources of polyphenols in the diet, the better the effect on the intestinal microbiota and, consequently, on the health of the individual, ”he points out.
According to the analyzes, the highest consumption of flavan3ol, a flavonoid subclass, was associated with a 20% lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome. In the population studied, the consumption of Flavan3ol took place mainly from the red wine, which, alone, contributed almost 80% of the total intake of this compound. Chocolate was also an important taxpayer, as it determined 10% of flavanol consumption in this population.
The study also analyzed the impact of polyphenols on other cardiometabolic issues related to metabolic syndrome such as hypertension, insulin resistance and increased triglycerides, for example.
“The results showed that the effects of these substances on metabolism and heart issues are not few. Regardless of several risk factors for the disease, such as gender, age, smoking and physical activity, those who ingested more polyphenols had up to 30 times less likely to develop high blood pressure, 30 times less likely to have insulin resistance and 17 times less Chance to have increased triglycerides, ”says Carnauba.
This content was originally published in coffee, candy and wine can reduce risk of metabolic syndrome by 23 times on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil