What are polyphenols, flavonoids and phenolic acid?
What are polyphenols?
Polyphenols are secondary plant substances. They are found exclusively in various plants (outer, skin or peel layers) or fruit and vegetables. Even though these substances do not provide the human body with any energy, they are still considered to be very beneficial to health and act in the body in a similar way to antioxidants. They occur as bioactive substances in the form of flavorings or colorants. Polyphenols protect plants from environmental toxins, bacteria, viruses and natural predators. They also protect the plant from strong UV rays and ozone.
In the case of polyphenols, a distinction is made between phenolic acids and flavonoids.
What are flavonoids?
Flavonoids belong to the group of polyphenols and are therefore secondary plant substances. The word flavonoids is derived from the Latin word "flavus" (meaning "yellow") and indicates that many of these compounds are yellow, purple or blue substances. They contribute to the different shades of color in the leaves, fruits and flowers of various plants. In nature, over 8,000 different flavonoids have formed over the last 5,000 years in a wide variety of plants. As with polyphenols, flavonoids are found in the epidermis and outer leaves as well as the outer layers of many fruits, so it is also said that apples should not be eaten without the skin. For example, most apple juices lack flavonoids, for which the apples are usually peeled and then pressed.
The six best-known flavonoids can be listed as follows:
Flavonols (e.g. endives, onions) Flavanols (e.g. red wine, apples ) Flavanones (e.g. clementines, oranges) Flavones (e.g. peppers) Anthocyanins (e.g. cherries, red grapes) Isoflavonoids (e.g. soybeans)
What is phenolic acid?
Like flavonoids, phenolic acid is a polyphenol. They are found in the form of secondary plant substances in plants, especially in vegetables and fruit. Due to their occurrence in the peel, they mainly serve to stabilize the cell walls. Once ingested, phenolic acids are first absorbed in the small intestine and then the phenolic acid esters are broken down in the large intestine.
How do the polyphenols / phenolic acid and flavonoids get into the bee products?
The worker bees collect the various substances required for the respective products. A component of all bee products are the plants, trees, flowers etc. which are flown to by the bees. Depending on the bee product(propolis, royal jelly, honey, etc.), the respective raw materials are collected (e.g. resins, flower nectar, flower pollen, etc.). The natural plants contain polyphenols or flavonoids, which are then incorporated into the bee products. The proportion of flavonoids varies depending on the bee product and the region of the bees. It can be stated that the higher the flavonoid content, the more positive the effect of the product on humans and living organisms. Propolis and royal jelly are rich in various polyphenols.
The polyphenol resveratrol, which is mainly found in the leaves and grapes, and the flavonoids of dark forest berries and caffeic acid are well known.
Effects of polyphenols
Polyphenols can have many different effects on human health and the human organism.
Antioxidant: Formation of free radicals due to poor diet or harmful environmental influences (e.g. smoking, stress, etc.). Can lead to the destruction of cell tissue, ageing and promote various diseases. A healthy diet with fruit and vegetables can counteract the formation of free radicals (diet containing flavonoids). antimicrobial: Reduction of microorganisms with a harmful influence on the human organism. antiviral: Antiviral active ingredients in many plants. Special extracts for preventive action against the risk of colds or viral infections. antibacterial: can fight infectious diseases neuro- and cardioprotective: studies show influence of flavonoids on cardiovascular diseases; correlation between low risk of cardiovascular diseases and high flavonoid consumption analgesic: Pain-relieving properties and are used in pain therapy treatments antiallergic: High flavonoid consumption can help against (hay) rhinitis and other allergies anxiolytic: Can help combat pathological anxiety (important in psychotherapy) anticarcinogenic: A possibly preventive efficacy against various cancer mutations is attributed to flavonoids (studies in animal experiments). Causality should be made possible by scientific studies in the future.
Occurrences of polyphenols
For a sufficient increase in polyphenols (flavonoids and phenolic acid), it is important to consume many plant foods. Polyphenols are found in vegetables, fruit, nuts and spices. The occurrences of the two known polyphenols at a glance:
Flavonoids:
Occurrences of flavonoids are e.g. in red wine, grapes, berries, pears, cherries, plums, green and black tea, cocoa, soy products, etc.
Phenolic acid:
Phenolic acid is found, for example, in whole grains, coffee, black tea, radishes, cabbage, whole wheat, spinach, lettuce, nuts, strenanis, etc.
