(Poly)phenol profiles of plant-based diets assessed through dietary intake and urinary biomarkers.
Casas-Albertos E, Rodriguez-Martín NM, Alcalá-Santiago A, Reina-Borrego M, Keski-Rahkonen P
Plant Based Diet
Every berry, herb, and leafy green you grow in your garden is packed with polyphenols that measurably show up in the bloodstream — this study proves homegrown plant variety directly translates into biological benefit.
Plants make special protective chemicals called polyphenols — the same things that give blueberries their color and red cabbage its bite. This study tracked what nearly 800 people ate and then tested their urine to see how many of these plant chemicals actually made it into their bodies. People who ate mostly or entirely plant-based diets had significantly more of these beneficial compounds than people who ate meat, and vegans got theirs mainly from vegetables and fruits rather than coffee or wine like most other groups.
Key Findings
Plant-based diet followers had significantly higher total polyphenol intake than omnivores across all diet groups studied (n=792 participants).
Among vegans, vegetables (20.8%) and fruits (10.4%) were the top contributors to polyphenol intake — the reverse of patterns seen in omnivores and other diet groups.
Urine testing of 28 individual polyphenols via mass spectrometry confirmed that dietary polyphenol intake translated into measurably higher urinary polyphenol levels in plant-based diet followers.
chevron_right Technical Summary
People who eat plant-based diets consistently consume more health-promoting plant compounds called polyphenols than meat-eaters, and urine tests confirm their bodies are actually absorbing them — not just eating them on paper.
Abstract Preview
(Poly)phenols are bioactive compounds widely present in plant-based foods. The aim was to explore differences in (poly)phenols based on dietary intake and urinary measurements among omnivores and d...
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