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.