We all know that eating more plants is a good idea — and most of us think that’s because they contain vitamins and fibre. But there are other compounds in plant foods that researchers are becoming increasingly interested in: polyphenols. They’re the natural chemicals that plants produce to protect themselves, and that seem to have powerful effects in the human body too.
“Animal and human studies show that different polyphenols are linked with different health effects — everything from brain health to metabolic health,” says registered dietitian and BDA media spokesperson Dr Sammie Gill.
