The polyphenols in the foods we eat can prevent inflammation in the elderly, as they alter the gut microbiota and induce the production of indole 3-propionic acid (IPA), a metabolite derived from tryptophan degradation by intestinal bacteria. This is stated in a study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, carried out by the Research Group on Biomarkers and Nutritional and Food Metabolomics of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences of the University of Barcelona and CIBER on Fragility and Aging. Healthy. (CIBERFES).
The team, led by Professor Cristina Andrés-Lacueva, from the UB’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, is also a member of the Catalan Food Innovation Network (XIA).
Polyphenols and healthy aging
Polyphenols are natural compounds, considered probiotics, that we eat mainly through fruits and vegetables. Various dietary polyphenols have known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as the ability to interact with bacteria present in the human gut and produce postbiotics (such as IPA), which increases their positive health effects.
There is growing evidence that regular consumption of polyphenols in the diet can contribute to healthy aging, especially if they are part of a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean, and are associated with a healthy lifestyle. that is, one including regular physical activity and excluding tobacco and alcohol, for example.
The study shows that the interaction between polyphenols and intestinal microbiota can induce the proliferation of bacteria with the ability to synthesize beneficial metabolites, such as IPA, a postbiotic with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties that help improve intestinal wall health. . Therefore, this compound would contribute to the prevention of some diseases associated with aging.
Given the beneficial effects of IPA on the gut microbiota and overall health, it is important to find reliable strategies to promote the production of this metabolite. “
Tomás Meroño, co-first signatory of the study, Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences and Gastronomy of the UB and CIBERFES
As part of the study, the researchers performed a multivariate analysis to monitor serum IPA levels, in addition to analyzing the composition of the intestinal microbiota in fecal samples from fifty-one volunteers over sixty-five. years that followed a rich diet. in polyphenols (green tea, bitter chocolate, fruits including apples, pomegranates and blueberries) for eight weeks.
Increased IPA in the blood and bacterial growth
The results show that the polyphenol-rich diet resulted in a significant increase in blood IPA levels, along with a decrease in levels of inflammation and changes in the bacteria in the microbiota, of the order Bacteroidales.
Surprisingly, the researchers did not observe the same effects in volunteers with kidney disease, which could be explained by the altered composition of their gut microbiota. These individuals showed lower amounts of IPA at the start of the trial compared to volunteers with normal renal function.
“These results could be clinically relevant, as low levels of IPA have been associated with a rapid decline in kidney function and chronic kidney disease,” says Professor Cristina Andrés-Lacueva.
Therefore, a polyphenol-rich diet that includes probiotic foods such as green tea, dark chocolate, and some fruits such as apple, pomegranate, and blueberries could increase IPA production through changes in the composition of the gut microbiota. This increase in levels of a postbiotic such as IPA in the elderly could be beneficial in delaying or preventing chronic diseases that impair quality of life.
The study also includes the participation of teams from the University of Milan (Italy), Quadram Institute (UK) and the National Institute of Health and Aging Sciences (INCRA, Italy), among other institutions.
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Magazine reference:
Peron, G., et al. (2022) A polyphenol-rich diet increases the 3-propionic indole acid of the intestinal microbiota metabolite in older adults with preserved renal function. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.202100349.