Eating foods high in polyphenols may help protect your heart over time.
These foods include the following:
1 Tea (the purer, the better)
2 Coffee (try to avoid adding sugar and processed cream)
3 Berries (any kind, such as blueberry and raspberry)
4 Cocoa (no, not a chocolate Dunky donut, but ideally the high concentration cocoa squares)
5 Nuts (raw and unsalted are best; but you’ll still get benefits otherwise)
6 Olive oil (raw, such as on salads)
7 Whole grains (aim for minimally processed)
A study from King’s College London found that people who regularly eat these foods tend to have lower predicted cardiovascular disease risk.
What Polyphenols Are
Polyphenols are natural compounds found in plants.
Research shows they can support the heart, brain and gut.
They are thought to reduce inflammation, improve blood vessel function and promote healthy cholesterol levels.
Long-Term Findings From the TwinsUK Cohort
The study followed over 3,100 adults in the UK for more than 10 years.
Researchers found that diets rich in certain polyphenols were linked to healthier blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
These improvements contributed to lower overall cardiovascular risk.
The researchers also looked at urine metabolites, which are markers that appear when the body processes polyphenols.
Participants with higher levels of these metabolites, especially flavonoids and phenolic acids, tended to have lower heart risk scores.
They also had higher HDL cholesterol, the “good” type that protects arteries.
Using a Polyphenol Dietary Score to Track Intake
To better understand eating habits, the team created the polyphenol dietary score, or PPS.
This score tracks intake of 20 common polyphenol-rich foods in the UK diet, including tea, coffee, berries, olive oil, nuts and whole grains.
PPS was more strongly linked to heart health than estimates of total polyphenol intake.
Researchers believe this is because PPS reflects overall dietary patterns rather than single nutrients.
It shows that consistent, balanced eating habits matter for long-term cardiovascular health.
Expert Advice on Heart Benefits
Professor Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, senior author of the study, said that long-term commitment to polyphenol-rich foods can slow the rise in cardiovascular risk as people age.
Even small daily changes, like adding berries to breakfast, sipping tea or adding half a tablespoon of olive oil to your post-workout protein shake (trust me, you won’t taste it), can make a difference.
Polyphenols and Aging
While cardiovascular risk naturally rises with age, participants with higher polyphenol intake had a slower increase over the 11-year follow-up.
Increasing your polyphenol intake, though, is not a green light for also increasing your junk food intake.
This isn’t, “Oh, I can have two pieces of cake because I had olive oil, nuts and fresh strawberries earlier today!”
