A decade-long study of adults in the UK suggests that regularly eating foods rich in polyphenols may help support healthier blood pressure, cholesterol patterns and long-term cardiovascular health.
Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds found in many everyday plant foods, including tea, coffee, berries, nuts, cocoa, whole grains and olive oil. They have been linked to benefits across several areas of health, from blood vessel function to gut and brain health.
In this new study, published in BMC Medicine, researchers at King’s College London followed more than 3,100 adults for over 11 years and tracked both their diets and a range of cardiovascular risk factors. The team used a dietary score that captured intake of 20 polyphenol-rich foods commonly eaten in the UK. They also measured hundreds of metabolites in urine samples to confirm how each person was processing polyphenols.
People who scored higher on the polyphenol dietary score had lower predicted cardiovascular disease risk. Participants with more polyphenol metabolites present in their urine also tended to have healthier cardiovascular profiles, including higher levels of HDL cholesterol. The findings were strongest for food sources rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids, two well-studied groups of polyphenols.
The research does not show that specific foods prevent disease, but it adds to evidence that diets centered on plant-forward eating patterns can support heart health as people age.
“Our findings show that long-term adherence to polyphenol-rich diets can substantially slow the rise in cardiovascular risk as people age,” said senior author Ana Rodriguez-Mateos. “Even small, sustained shifts towards foods like berries, tea, coffee, nuts and whole grains may help protect the heart over time.”
First author Yong Li added that these foods are widely accessible.
“This research provides strong evidence that regularly including polyphenol-rich foods in your diet is a simple and effective way to support heart health,” Li said.
The researchers note that cardiovascular risk naturally increases with age but found that people who ate more polyphenol-rich foods tended to experience a slower rise in risk over the long term. They say more clinical trials are needed to confirm how specific foods or food combinations influence cardiovascular health.
This study was supported in part by the Chronic Disease Research Foundation, King’s College London, the King’s–China Scholarship Council partnership and several UK public research organizations.