Glossary /
Polyphenols
A family of plant compounds with antioxidant and signalling effects, found in colorful produce, tea, coffee, cocoa, and olive oil.
What it is
Polyphenols are secondary metabolites plants make to defend themselves from pests, UV, and pathogens. There are thousands of them, grouped into flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes, and lignans. Resveratrol from grapes, EGCG from green tea, curcumin from turmeric, anthocyanins from berries, and oleocanthal from extra-virgin olive oil are all polyphenols.
Why it matters
They are bioactive in ways most “vitamins” are not — they modulate gene expression, feed beneficial gut bacteria, and act as mild hormetic stressors that upregulate the body’s own antioxidant systems. The benefit is in the variety, not in any single supplement. A diet rich in colored vegetables, fruit, herbs, spices, real olive oil, and unsweetened tea or coffee gives you a polyphenol load that no capsule replicates.