Bitter foods that contain polyphenols can help the body regulate blood sugar levels and appetite using hormones similar to those used in diabetes and weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, according to recent research.
Polyphenols are compounds found in plant foods with a bitter taste, such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, coffee and tea. They usually pass through the body undigested, but can affect our health nonetheless.
A recent study published in the journal Food Bioscience investigated the relationship between these compounds and supposed health benefits of polyphenols such as better blood sugar regulation.
"Despite their poor absorption, there are reports that polyphenols improve glucose tolerance," lead researcher Professor Naomi Osakabe from the Shibaura Institute of Technology in Japan said in a statement. "We are investigating the relationship between polyphenol intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes, as the mechanism of this beneficial effect is still unknown."
When we eat foods containing polyphenols, the bitter taste is recognized by taste receptors in our mouths, and further along our digestive systems. This sends a signal to the gut to begin secreting digestive hormones.
Among these digestive hormones is glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1): the hormone that diabetes and weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are intended to replicate.
GLP-1 triggers the hormone insulin to be secreted, helping to regulate blood sugar levels. Together with other digestive hormones, it influences gut motility too, slowing down the movement of food as it's digested, so we feel fuller and eat less.
The study's scientists propose that it is in this way that hormones triggered by polyphenol-rich foods can reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes.
"The GI [gastrointestinal] hormones are known to regulate feeding behavior and maintain glucose tolerance via the endocrine [hormone] and nervous systems, thus it is possible that the bitterness of polyphenols helps to reduce the risk of diabetes and its complications, through T2R [taste receptor] activation," Osakabe said. "Our study highlights the importance of consumption of polyphenols to reduce obesity and diabetes risk through regulation of blood sugar levels and appetite."
Polyphenols are abundant in many plant foods, including berries, red grapes, pomegranate, olives, beans, artichokes, chicory, spinach, cocoa, coffee, tea, chestnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, flaxseed, cloves, star anise, turmeric, red wine and soy. Most polyphenol-rich foods are also brightly colored.
They have a range of widely known benefits. Polyphenols are a form of antioxidant, which means they help calm wear and tear known as oxidative stress inside the body.
Polyphenols are also anti-inflammatory—as all antioxidants tend to be—so they may help prevent or reduce the symptoms of chronic health conditions such as obesity, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, dementia, and more.
Some research also suggests that polyphenols may lower the risk of developing heart disease.
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Reference
Osakabe, N., Ohmoto, M., Shimizu, T., Iida, N., Fushimi, T., Fujii, Y., Abe, K., Calabrese, V. (2024). Gastrointestinal hormone-mediated beneficial bioactivities of bitter polyphenols, Food Bioscience 61(104550). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2024.104550
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