Now more than ever we are bombarded with mixed messages around nutritional science and what we should be doing to support our immune health. But, no matter what changes based on new science, evidence behind the importance of eating colourful plant-based foods rich in polyphenols only gets stronger and stronger.
The colour of these foods is only one piece of the nutritional puzzle, but even this one piece is so important to our health. So, what are polyphenols?
Polyphenols are a category of naturally occurring compounds found mostly in fruits and vegetables that have powerful antioxidant properties. These natural compounds can be divided into primary and secondary metabolites. Think of primary metabolites like the lifeline that keeps the organism, in this case, the fruit or vegetable, alive. The secondary metabolites are what keeps the organism competitive within its environment; whether that be protection from environmental hazards or competing plants, or attracting pollinating animals, and play a key role in the overall growth and reproduction of the plant. Polyphenols are considered secondary metabolites.
There are over 500 unique polyphenols that are collectively known as phytochemicals.
What makes polyphenols so fascinating are the beneficial functions they play in the human body, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and immune system modulation effects. And, given the importance of maintaining a healthy immune system right now, we thought we would make this the focus in this edition of Clever Covers.
70% of our immune cells reside inside our gut? Immune cells and immune proteins live in the gut and are required to fight off pathogens, antigens and allergens!
Our digestive system is supported by and linked to other systems of the body such as the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system, but especially the immune system. Without a healthy gut, we will see an imbalance of our immune system, heightened inflammation, poor absorption of nutrients, hormone imbalances and poor elimination of waste. Further, given gut health is directly connected to the central nervous system (aka that clever brain of yours) via a major pathway called the vagus nerve, it’s no wonder that we will also see issues related to poor mental health such as fatigue, depression, an inability to concentrate, and mental fog if we are not consuming foods that support our gut health.
About 95% of serotonin is made in the gut through the direction of our microbiome (gut bacteria)! How cool is that?!
Since inflammation and oxidation in the body have significant effects on our immune system, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties found in polyphenols are a natural solution to help support our immune health. Wild blueberries, also known as lowbush wild blueberries, are considered the ultimate antioxidant superfruit for their abundant source of polyphenols. In fact, a USDA study found wild blueberries to have the highest levels of antioxidants out of 40 fruits and vegetables!
But, what if there was a way to double the potency of those all-powerful polyphenols found in this magical superfruit?
(Pardon the pun but here’s where things get a bit clever…)
Here at Clever, we have developed a proprietary fermentation process that enhances the potency of those polyphenols found in superfruit by 2-3x! Moreover, we deliver these supercharged superfruits in the form of fermented ingredient powders so that it is easy and convenient for individuals to reap all of those underlying powerful health benefits!
Check out our product page here to learn more or drop us an email by visiting here to get in touch.