Here’s some good news
My first-grade teacher Miss Dennis taught us that polyphenols are compounds with more than one phenolic hydroxyl group. “Eat your greens and plums,” she told us, “and polyphenols will be dancing through your metabolism, and your aura will shine!” At Northwest Elementary, we strove for shiny auras.
Since a couple seasons had passed since Miss Dennis’s class and I feared my aura had faded, I signed up for a refresher on polyphenols at the Academy for Sort of Higher Learning. The instructor was blueberry farmer Bart Baker, who resembled an unkempt feral bulldog, but he apparently knew his polyphenols.
“Hey! Listen up! I’m trying to tell you something,” Bart barked as he began his lecture. “It’s time we cleared the air about polyphenols. You want them, I want them, and there are plenty for all. No need for filibuster or conspiracy, and I tell the truth about this stuff.”
Bart’s motor was just getting started. “So, the bottom line is to eat like a Mediterranean. When I’ve been to Mediterranea, I’ve noticed they fill their plates with spinach, broccoli, red onions, eggplants, kale and olives but less red meat or chicken parts. Yeah! And they adorn the dishes with extra virgin olive oil! Yeah!” he exclaimed as he pumped his fist a couple times. Two or three in the class politely clapped with approval.
“And fruit! Do you like blackberries and blueberries?” Even more folks muttered approval, glanced at each other and clapped a couple times. “Plums, cherries and raspberries… and wait a minute – walnuts and almonds too! Yeah!” Momentum was on the rise.
“And here’s the good news. The polyphenols in those foods perform like antioxidants which means – pay attention – they protect against diabetes, heart disease and some of those evil cancers. That’s right. Dark berries and grapes have flavonoids, and those are polyphenols. Purple and red things like cabbage, pomegranates and strawberries have anthocyanins, and that’s a good thing because – you guessed it – they have polyphenols too! Yeah!” The excitement in the room was palpable.
“But wait… resveratrol is a polyphenol, and guess where you can get it… ” a heavy, poignant pause… “red wine!” You would have thought Bart scored the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. Folks were jumping up and down, high-fiving and chanting “Bart, Bart, Bart!” This unkempt feral bulldog knew his polyphenols.
He calmed the crowd enough to continue and added, “You should know another source of a natural antioxidant, though not as potent as the resveratrol in red wine, is the polyphenols in the malt and hops that make beer.” Jubilation was beginning to erupt again, but Bart waved the smiling crowd back to their seats. “Moderation is the key with beer, and I must admit polyphenols are not the only reason my grandmother drank beer, though researchers claim it helps clean the bloodstream of harmful metals.” Bart was a fount of important info.
I’m a gardener, and Bart confirmed my instinct to grow and eat fresh organic herbs and vegetables. He had mentioned oregano and basil among the plant-based sources of polyphenols, and I instinctively grow those. Among the first vegetables seeded in my garden each spring are different kale and spinach varieties and various Asian brassicas such as red mustard, yod fah and tatsoi (is my aura shining?) Parsley and lettuce contain flavones, another polyphenol. My garden is a polyphenol patch.
The National Institutes of Health studied the effects of polyphenols on digestive health. Somebody counted (it took all day) and determined there are probably 100 trillion beneficial bacteria in our digestive systems, and plant-based polyphenols support them, so they are able to naturally defend against intestinal mayhem and disease. Also protected is brain function and skin health, and all of this protection can positively affect our moods.
Gardeners, spread the word, plant your seeds and shine your auras. Make Miss Dennis proud.