Polyphenols for Intestinal Permeability

Del Bo’ et al. (2021) conducted a randomized controlled trial to see if a diet emphasizing polyphenols would be able to help address intestinal permeability in older people.  They found that beneficial bacteria for fiber fermentation and butyrate were increased, and blood pressure was decreased.  Those who started out with greater impairment of the tight junctions (as measured by zonulin), or who had higher BMI or insulin resistance, saw the greatest improvement to their intestinal permeability.  The foods that were included in this intervention were berries, blood orange, pomegranate, green tea, Renetta apple, and dark chocolate.  What a delicious way to get healthier. 

Reference:

Del Bo’, C., Bernardi, S., Cherubini, A., Porrini, M., Gargari, G., Hidalgo-Liberona, N., González-Domínguez, R., Zamora-Ros, R., Peron, G., Marino, M., Gigliotti, L., Winterbone, M. S., Kirkup, B., Kroon, P. A., Andres-Lacueva, C., Guglielmetti, S., & Riso, P. (2021). A polyphenol-rich dietary pattern improves intestinal permeability, evaluated as serum zonulin levels, in older subjects: The MaPLE randomised controlled trial. Clinical Nutrition, 40(5), 3006–3018.