Dietary polyphenols, potential health benefits

Plant polyphenols have been of interest for long time owing to their role in plant pigmentation, reproduction and protection against predators and pathogens. Recently, interest in the biological effects of plant polyphenols (particularly flavonoids) has increased, because of the the potential health benefits associated with some dietary polyphenols. This... 

The occurrence of dietary polyphenols in largely consumed vegetables and their bioavailability need to be known for a proper evaluation of their potential health benefits. In the past years many studies on the uptake and the metabolism of dietary polyphenols have been published, and presently a better information on the absorption and fate of polyphenols from regular food, beverages and supplements is available. By contrast, the polyphenol content of different vegetables consumed in large amounts and with beneficial properties is still poorly defined. This is the case of tomatoes, which represent an important part of the mediterranean diet and are thought to diminish the risk of certain chronic diseases (72, 73). 

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