Beneficial effects of polyphenols on chronic diseases and ageing

Abstract

© 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Dietary polyphenols have been recently studied in relation to a variety of chronic noncommunicable diseases. Due to their high content in foods and beverages commonly consumed worldwide, they have been the focus of major attention as mediators of the potential beneficial effects of various functional foods and investigated for their potential global impact on human health. In this chapter, the association between key dietary sources and supplements of polyphenols, major classes of polyphenols (such as flavonoids, lignans, and stilbenes) and cardiometabolic diseases, hormone-dependent diseases (including menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis), certain cancers (including breast, lung, and colorectal) and neurodegenerative diseases (including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease) and affective disorders (including depression), have been reviewed. Moreover, an in-depth discussion on safety issues of phenolic compound consumption is also provided.