Polyphenols: The Bitter Taste that Can Help ⁣Reduce Obesity and Diabetes

Polyphenols, a type of ingredient ⁤found in plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, have been shown to have a positive effect on the body’s hormones, reducing ​the risk of obesity⁣ and diabetes.

These ingredients, which ⁢cause a bitter ⁤taste, are not well absorbed in the upper digestive tract and ‌move ⁤to ‌the large intestine,​ where they are then excreted. However, recent research has found that the bitter taste of polyphenols may have a beneficial effect on the body’s hormones.

Polyphenols bind to ⁤T2R, a bitter⁤ taste receptor on the tongue, causing a bitter taste sensation. However, these receptors also exist ‍in the gastrointestinal tract, and their activation promotes the secretion ‌of digestive hormones.

How Polyphenols Affect the Body

A joint research team from Tokyo Shibaura Institute of‌ Technology, ​Takasaki University‍ of Health and Welfare, Japan, the University ​of Tokyo, and Cantazar⁢ University, Italy, investigated how polyphenol intake promotes the secretion ‌of‌ hormones in the gastrointestinal tract and how these hormones‍ affect the body’s weight and blood sugar.

Researchers have confirmed⁤ that‌ the hormones GLP-1 and CCK secreted ‌in the ​gastrointestinal tract play an important role in controlling appetite‍ and blood sugar. In particular, GLP-1 is an incretin​ hormone that suppresses the rise in blood sugar after ⁣a⁤ meal and is ​also used to treat⁢ type 2 diabetes.

The Benefits of Polyphenols

Polyphenols have a low absorption rate and low concentration in the blood, but they ⁤have⁣ the advantage ‍of having fewer side effects. The researchers suggest that polyphenols have a high possibility of⁢ replacing current GLP-1-targeted drugs.

To increase the intake of bitter-tasting polyphenols, it is recommended to ‌eat plenty of dark chocolate, cherries, and cranberries in your diet.