Plant polyphenols: The secret to living longer and healthy aging?

By Priyanjana Pramanik, MSc.Reviewed by Lily Ramsey, LLMOct 2 2024

Plant polyphenols show promise in slowing aging, boosting brain health, and preventing age-related diseases through their powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, offering a natural approach to healthier aging and reduced pharmaceutical dependence.

Study: Dietary Polyphenols as Anti-Aging Agents: Targeting the Hallmarks of Aging. Image Credit: marilyn barbone/Shutterstock.com

In a recent review article published in Nutrients, researchers examined the impacts of plant polyphenols in the diet on aging processes.

Their findings indicate that polyphenols are beneficial due to their antioxidant properties and may confer benefits in terms of anti-aging and brain protection, supporting the development of new therapies and supplements to prevent age-related diseases while reducing pharmaceutical use.

Aging world populations

Data from global bodies like the World Bank and World Health Organization suggest that 727 million people, or 9.3% of the worldwide population, will be 65 or older by 2022. As people age, they face higher risks of metabolic disorders, neurodegeneration, and cancer, which can be mitigated by environment, lifestyle, and genetic factors.

As life expectancies increase, it is important to identify ways to slow aging and improve the quality of life for older people. Some drugs show promise for targeting the hallmarks of aging, such as chronic inflammation.

However, naturally occurring chemicals such as polyphenols, which are found in plant-based foods such as tea, fruit, vegetables, and red wine, show significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Polyphenols for anti-aging

They may be protective against oxidative stress and strengthen immune function, metabolism, gut health, and cognitive function, reducing the risk of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and heart disease.

Polyphenols can extend lifespans by reducing senescence, improving mitochondrial health, and reducing inflammation. Evidence is building that diets rich in polyphenol-containing vegetables and fruits can improve health and quality of life.

As people age, the mitochondria, which drive cellular function and thus fundamental biological processes, function less efficiently, a decline called mitochondrial dysfunction.

This is linked to neurodegenerative disease and cancer, but polyphenols like quercetin and resveratrol are protective against these processes by supporting the repair of damaged mitochondria.

Another aspect of aging is a decline in autophagy, the process of breaking down and reusing old or damaged cell components. The loss of this ability with age can lead to various diseases, but polyphenols can induce autophagy, supporting cellular health by clearing damaged proteins and organ parts, thus reducing protein aggregations and reducing neurodegenerative diseases.

Additionally, polyphenols show potential for protecting against genetic damage by repairing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and maintaining genomic stability.

Chronic inflammation is another symptom of aging and is implicated in diseases such as neuroinflammation and osteoarthritis.

However, the anti-inflammatory properties of such polyphenols reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, effectively mitigating the symptoms of inflammatory diseases.

Polyphenols also support nutrient-sensing or the processes through which cells detect and respond to sources of energy, which decline with age and are implicated in metabolic diseases. They also support caloric restriction.

Foods rich in polyphenols

Researchers have been able to isolate certain polyphenols that may delay aging and help treat age-related diseases.

Ellagic acid is a polyphenol found in walnuts, raspberries, and pomegranates. It has neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties that have extended lifespans in model organisms by reducing genetic damage and free radicals.

By interacting with processes in the gut, ellagic acid forms a substance called urolithin-A, which promotes mitochondrial health and longevity. Clinical trials involving elderly people have shown that urolithin-A improves muscle health and mitochondrial activity.

Another important polyphenol is gallic acid, which has been identified in nuts, grapes, and pomegranates. It enhances skin elasticity and reduces wrinkles by stimulating the production of collagen, potentially reversing processes associated with aging.

Meanwhile, rutin, which is present in buckwheat and citrus fruits, has been shown to extend lifespans in mice and fruitflies by reducing inflammation and targeting aging cells. In humans, it may reduce type 2 diabetes by lowering oxidative stress and protecting cardiovascular health from environmental pollutants.

Broccoli, apples, berries, and onions contain a powerful antioxidant called quercetin, which reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, helps eliminate aging cells, improves skin health, targets age-related tissue damage, and reduces the risk of frailty.

Strawberries and several other fruits contain fisetin, which crosses the blood-brain barrier, improving cognitive function and preventing age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Fisetin also improves skin health by removing aging skin cells.

Another important group of antioxidant polyphenols is anthocyanins, found in raspberries, blueberries, and other berries, which enhance blood vessel health, support bone strength, and prevent cancer. They promote healthy aging by reducing oxidative stress and stimulating autophagy.

Conclusions

Studies show that polyphenols play a critical role in counteracting aging and disease through their effects on mitochondrial function, DNA health, genomic stability, inflammation, and autophagy.

Incorporating foods rich in polyphenols into the diet can provide immense benefits for health and longevity while reducing reliance on pharmaceutical interventions.