Foods High in Polyphenols and Why You Need Them

If you saw my latest reel on Instagram, you learned that I don’t go a day without chocolate. Every day, you can find me munching on some kind of dark chocolate – the more bitter it is, the better, in my opinion! Probably the same reason I also love coffee and tea (two of my other favorite things)!

What do coffee, chocolate and tea all have in common? Polyphenols!

What are they, and why do they matter to me?

Polyphenols are aromatic compounds found in foods and are actually super amazing for your gut health! They’re found in a wide variety of things, like coffee, chocolate, olives, olive oil, black and green tea, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables!

These plant-based compounds play a protective role against the development of osteoporosis, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular disease. They encourage “good” bacteria in your gut, like bifidobacteria and lactobacillus, which help break down fiber in our diet and help us transform it into short chain fatty acids (goodbye, inflammation!).

When you are struggling with bloat, constipation, or any other digestive complaint, it is important to include polyphenols in your diet to help keep your “good” gut bugs happy and fed. When you do, they pay you back by producing short chain fatty acids. Short chain fatty acids are anti-inflammatory to the brain and the gut, and are known to help keep digestive complaints at bay.

Good news: polyphenols are found in TONS of foods, so including them is easy! I encourage you to pick one to include each day.

Fruits 

• Cranberries
• Cherries
• Blackcurrant 
• Apricot
• Peaches
• Pure lemon Juice
• Grapes
• Grapefruit
• Pomegranate 
• Apples
• Green olives
• Black olives
• Olive oil
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Avocado

Vegetables 

• Potato 
• Carrots 
• Capers
• Rapeseed Oil
• Onions (Red and Yellow)
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Endive
• Red lettuce
• Celery
• Artichoke (globe artichoke heads)
• Spinach
• Shallot
• Asparagus

Beans/Legumes

• White beans
• Soybeans including tempeh and tofu and soy milk
• Cocoa including dark chocolate (the darker the better (opt for 70% or higher))
• Black beans

Whole grains

• Whole wheat flour
• Whole grain rye flour
• Whole grain oat flour
• Oats

Nuts/Seeds

• Pecans
• Almonds
• Hazelnuts
• Flaxseeds
• Walnuts
• Sesame seeds 

Beverages 

• Green tea
• Black tea
• Chicory (green and red chicory) 
• Organic soy milk (non-GMO)
• Organic coffee 

Herbs/Spices: cloves, anise, peppermint, oregano, cinnamon, ginger, celery seed, sage, thyme, rosemary, spearmint, basil, curry powder, lemon verbena, cumin, caraway, parsley