People who frequently include foods and beverages rich in polyphenols, such as tea, coffee, berries, cocoa, nuts, whole grains and olive oil, may experience better heart health over time.
A team from King’s College London reported that individuals who followed dietary patterns high in polyphenols had lower predicted cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
Polyphenols are naturally occurring plant compounds associated with a wide range of health benefits, including support for the heart, brain, and gut.
Long-Term Findings From a Large UK Cohort
The study, published recently in BMC Medicine, tracked more than 3,100 adults from the TwinsUK cohort for more than ten years. It found that diets rich in certain groups of polyphenols were linked to healthier blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which contributed to lower CVD risk scores.
For the first time, the researchers also assessed a large set of urine metabolites that appear when the body processes polyphenols.
These biomarkers showed that people with higher levels of polyphenol metabolites (especially those linked to flavonoids and phenolic acids) had lower cardiovascular risk scores. They also tended to have higher HDL cholesterol, also known as ‘good’ cholesterol.
A New Scoring Tool to Measure Polyphenol Intake
To better understand dietary patterns, the researchers used a newly designed polyphenol dietary score (PPS). This score reflects intake of 20 common polyphenol-rich foods in the UK, including tea, coffee, berries, olive oil, nuts, and whole grains.
The PPS demonstrated stronger links to cardiovascular health than estimates of total polyphenol intake. The team suggested that this may be because the PPS captures overall eating habits rather than focusing on single compounds. This supports the idea that looking at the full diet provides a clearer picture of how polyphenol-rich foods collectively contribute to long-term heart health.
Expert Perspectives on Heart Benefits
Professor Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, senior author and Professor of Human Nutrition at King’s College London, said: “Our findings show that long-term adherence to polyphenol-rich diets can substantially slow the rise in cardiovascular risk as people age. Even small, sustained shifts towards foods like berries, tea, coffee, nuts, and whole grains may help protect the heart over time.”
Dr. Yong Li, first author of the study, added: “This research provides strong evidence that regularly including polyphenol-rich foods in your diet is a simple and effective way to support heart health. These plant compounds are widely available in everyday foods, making this a practical strategy for most people.”
Connection Between Aging and Cardiovascular Risk
The researchers noted that although cardiovascular risk naturally increases with age, participants with higher polyphenol intake experienced a slower rise in risk across the 11-year follow-up period. They also highlighted the importance of future dietary intervention trials to confirm and expand on these findings.
