How are polyphenols good for my health?

Polyphenols are a group of antioxidant compounds derived from plants - notably found in coffee - that can protect our cells and reduce inflammation in the body. "Medicine Hunter" Chris Kilham discusses the healthy benefits of polyphenols.

Transcript

00:00

The polyphenols, these antioxidant compounds in foods and found in concentration in some things like coffee,

00:06

help to reduce inflammation. [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:15

Polyphenols are a broad group of antioxidant compounds derived from plants of all kinds and, notably, found in coffee

00:25

in great concentration. And these play a key role in protecting us from many different types of diseases.

00:34

The polyphenols not only protect the lipid membranes that cover our living cells--

00:42

so they protect the cells themselves-- but also, they reduce inflammation in the body.

00:49

Inflammation, we now know, is one of the key factors in all chronic and degenerative

00:55

diseases. Diabetes, arthritis, diseases of the brain, cardiovascular disease, kidney and lung disease,

01:02

they all involve inflammation. The polyphenols, these antioxidant compounds in foods and found in concentration in some things like coffee,

01:12

help to reduce inflammation. So polyphenols are critically valuable to our health. They're especially concentrated in the Greek coffee,

01:21

and specifically as regards the Greek coffee, they help to keep the endothelial cell

01:28

layer in the interior of the blood vessel walls healthy and functional and supple so that blood will flow smoothly and we'll

01:35

have good cardiovascular health. [AUDIO LOGO]