Health eects of natural phenols and

polyphenols
Because of the large structural diversity and extensive
metabolism of dietary polyphenols, it is dicult to determine their fate in vivo and assert specic health eects.[1]
Although many are speculated to be part of the healthpromoting eects of consuming fruits and vegetables, no
evidence exists to date that dietary polyphenols actually
provide health benets.[2] To what extent eects would
apply to entire organisms, and clinical outcomes in human disease in particular, remains an undened topic in
nutrition science and disease prevention.[3]

poorly conserved (less than 5%), with most of what is absorbed existing as chemically-modied metabolites destined for rapid excretion.

4 Neonatal eects
Maternal high avonoid content diet is suspected to increase risk of particularly acute myeloid leukemia in
neonates.[7][8][9] High intake of avonoid compounds during pregnancy is suspected to increase risk of neonatal leukemia.[8][10] Therefore, bioavonoid supplements
should be not used by pregnant women.[11]

Bioavailability

Polyphenols have poor bioavailability, indicating that

most of what are consumed are extensively metabolized and excreted.[1][4] Gallic acid and isoavones may
show absorption of about 5%,[1][4] with amounts of catechins (avan-3-ols), avanones, and quercetin glucosides even less.[1] The least well-absorbed phenols are
the proanthocyanidins, galloylated tea catechins, and
anthocyanins.[4]

5 Carcinogenicity
Some polyphenols, particularly from the avan-3-ol
(catechin-type), have both anticarcinogenic-proapoptotic
and mutagenic eects.[10][12] The DNA changes were increased by treatment with avonoids in cultured blood
stem cells.[13] Some natural polyphenols share the properties of some anticancer drugs such as etoposide and
doxorubicin while other polyphenols may induce DNA
mutations in the MLL gene, which are common ndings
in neonatal acute leukemia.[14]

Cardiovascular health

A review published in 2012 found insucient consensus for the hypothesis that the specic intake of food and
drink containing avonoids may play a meaningful role in
reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The reviewers stated that research to date had been of poor quality
and the large and rigorous trials are needed better to study
the science, and to investigate possible adverse eects
associated with excessive polyphenol intake. Currently,
lack of knowledge about safety suggests that polyphenol
levels should not exceed that which occurs in a normal
diet.[5]

6 See also
List of oncology-related terms
Polyphenol antioxidant

7 References
[1] Flavonoids. Linus Pauling Institute, Micronutrient Information Center, Oregon State University. 2015. Retrieved 8 June 2015.

Antioxidant activity

[2] EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA)2, 3 European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),
Parma, Italy (2010). Scientic Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to various food(s)/food constituent(s) and protection of cells from premature aging,
antioxidant activity, antioxidant content and antioxidant
properties, and protection of DNA, proteins and lipids

[1]

As interpreted by the Linus Pauling Institute and

the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),[2] dietary
avonoids have little or no direct antioxidant food value
following digestion.[6] Unlike controlled test tube conditions, the fate of natural phenols in vivo shows they are
1

8 FURTHER READING

from oxidative damage pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/20061 (PDF). EFSA Journal. 8
(2): 1489. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1489 (inactive 201502-01).
[3] Halliwell B (2007). Dietary polyphenols: Good, bad, or
indierent for your health?". Cardiovasc Res. 73 (2):
341347. doi:10.1016/j.cardiores.2006.10.004. PMID
17141749.
[4] Manach, C; Williamson, G; Morand, C; Scalbert, A;
Rmsy, C (2005). Bioavailability and bioecacy of
polyphenols in humans. I. Review of 97 bioavailability
studies. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 81 (1
Suppl): 230S242S. PMID 15640486.
[5] Habauzit, V.; Morand, C. (2011). Evidence for a protective eect of polyphenols-containing foods on cardiovascular health: An update for clinicians. Therapeutic Advances in Chronic Disease. 3 (2): 87106.
doi:10.1177/2040622311430006.
PMC 3513903 .
PMID 23251771.
[6] Williams, Robert J; Spencer, Jeremy P.E; Rice-Evans,
Catherine (2004). Flavonoids: Antioxidants or signalling
molecules?". Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 36
(7): 83849. doi:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2004.01.001.
PMID 15019969.
[7] Ross, JA (1998). Maternal diet and infant leukemia:
a role for DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors?". International journal of cancer. Supplement. 11 (S11): 268.
doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(1998)78:11+<26::AIDIJC8>3.0.CO;2-M. PMID 9876473.
[8] Ross, J. A. (2000).
Dietary avonoids and the
MLL gene: A pathway to infant leukemia?". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
97 (9): 44113.
Bibcode:2000PNAS...97.4411R.
doi:10.1073/pnas.97.9.4411. PMC 34309 . PMID
10781030.
[9] Spector, L. G.; Xie, Y; Robison, LL; Heerema, NA;
Hilden, JM; Lange, B; Felix, CA; Davies, SM; et al.
(2005). Maternal Diet and Infant Leukemia: The
DNA Topoisomerase II Inhibitor Hypothesis: A Report from the Childrens Oncology Group. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. 14 (3): 6515.
doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-04-0602. PMID 15767345.
[10] Strick R, Strissel PL, Borgers S, Smith SL, Rowley
JD; Strissel; Borgers; Smith; Rowley (2000). Dietary
bioavonoids induce cleavage in the MLL gene and may
contribute to infant leukemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U
S A. 97 (9): 47905. Bibcode:2000PNAS...97.4790S.
doi:10.1073/pnas.070061297. PMC 18311 . PMID
10758153.
[11] Paolini, M; Sapone, Andrea; Valgimigli, Luca (2003).
Avoidance of bioavonoid supplements during pregnancy: a pathway to infant leukemia?". Mutation Research/Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis. 527 (12): 99101. doi:10.1016/S00275107(03)00057-5. PMID 12787918.

[12] Thirman MJ, Gill HJ, Burnett RC, Mbangkollo D,

McCabe NR, Kobayashi H, et al. (1993). Rearrangement of the MLL gene in acute lymphoblastic
and acute myeloid leukemias with 11q23 chromosomal
translocations. N Engl J Med. 329 (13): 90914.
doi:10.1056/NEJM199309233291302. PMID 8361504.
[13] Barjesteh van Waalwijk van Doorn-Khosrovani S, Janssen
J, Maas LM, Godschalk RW, Nijhuis JG, van Schooten FJ
(2007). Dietary avonoids induce MLL translocations in
primary human CD34+ cells. Carcinogenesis. 28 (8):
17039. doi:10.1093/carcin/bgm102. PMID 17468513.
[14] van der Linden MH et al (2012) Diagnosis and management of neonatal leukaemia. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med
17(4):192-5

8 Further reading
Books
Fraga, Cesar G. (editor) Plant Phenolics and Human
Health: Biochemistry, Nutrition and Pharmacology.
2010. Wiley. ISBN 9780470287217

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