A new study has shown that certain natural compounds found in everyday foods may help older adults stay healthier.
These compounds are called polyphenols, and they are found in many fruits, vegetables, and drinks like green tea.
The study was published in a journal called Molecular Nutrition & Food Research and involved researchers from several institutions, including a university team led by Professor Cristina Andrés-Lacueva.
Polyphenols are known for their ability to fight harmful substances in the body. They help reduce swelling and irritation, also known as inflammation.
This is important because too much inflammation can lead to health problems, especially as people get older. Polyphenols also act a bit like probiotics—they interact with the good bacteria in your gut to produce helpful byproducts.
One of the helpful byproducts is a substance called indole 3-propionic acid, or IPA for short. IPA is made when gut bacteria break down a substance called tryptophan, which comes from the protein in your food. IPA has many benefits. It helps fight damage in the body, lowers inflammation, and protects the brain and digestive system.
To see how diet affects IPA levels, the researchers worked with more than fifty people aged 65 and older. These volunteers were asked to eat a diet rich in polyphenols for eight weeks.
Their meals included foods like green tea, dark chocolate, apples, pomegranates, and blueberries. The scientists checked their blood for IPA levels and looked at how their gut bacteria changed.
The results were exciting. The people who ate more polyphenol-rich foods had higher IPA levels in their blood. They also had less inflammation and better gut health. The number of healthy gut bacteria, especially a group called Bacteroidales, increased. These bacteria are known to be good for your health.
However, the study found that not everyone had the same results. People with kidney disease did not see the same benefits. This may be because their gut bacteria are different, which affects how well they can produce IPA.
One of the study’s authors, Tomás Meroño, explained that finding ways to increase IPA is important because it offers many health benefits. For people with kidney disease, having low levels of IPA can be a problem. It is linked to faster kidney damage and more serious disease.
This research shows that eating the right foods can help older adults feel better and stay healthier. A diet full of colorful fruits, green tea, and even dark chocolate can help the body make more IPA, which may lower the risk of chronic diseases.
It’s also a good reminder that what we eat matters, especially as we age. Choosing the right foods can make a big difference in our health. Scientists are continuing to study how certain foods and nutrients affect things like inflammation and disease, and this study is one step closer to understanding how diet can support healthy aging.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about foods that could improve survival in Parkinson’s disease, and vitamin D supplements strongly reduce cancer death.
For more health information, please see recent studies about plant nutrient that could help reduce high blood pressure, and these antioxidants could help reduce dementia risk.
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