The quest for good health is a universal one—for everyone from dieters to aspiring marathoners to people looking to actively ward off germs during cold and flu season. Wellness affects each and every one of us. The good news is that choices we make regarding diet and supplementation can have a significant impact on our health.

Because of this, consumers regularly scan product labels for important macronutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, and fiber, and important micronutrients like vitamin D or iron. However, there is another class of compounds that greatly impacts our health that is not currently included on any Nutrition Facts label. Phytochemicals (“phyto” from the Greek word for plant) are natural chemicals or compounds produced by plants that help keep plants healthy.

Unlike macros and micros, phytochemicals aren’t considered essential nutrients for survival in humans. However, when you eat plant-based products rich in these phytochemicals, they serve an important role in helping protect against disease and keeping your body working properly. It is this crucial distinction that led to the adoption of the term “phytonutrients” within the industry, to align this class of bioactive compounds with the powerhouse macronutrients and micronutrients of the nutrition world.

The benefits of phytonutrients have propelled them into the spotlight as something that should be quantified and recommended as part of a healthy diet. The opportunity has come for innovation, formulation, and policy change within the food, beverage, and dietary supplement industries to make this happen and cultivate a healthier population.

Polyphenols and Scientific Discovery

Though thousands of phytonutrients have been identified, certain categories among them stand out for having been extensively studied, with results that show compelling, clinically relevant outcomes. Perhaps one of the most recognizable and most studied classes of phytonutrients is polyphenols—aptly named because of the phenol groups each compound possesses in its chemical structure.

Polyphenols are most known for their antioxidant properties, which can impact nearly every element of human health. A straightforward search for “polyphenols and human health” on PubMed or Google Scholar finds thousands of studies that demonstrate the variety of beneficial effects in humans. For example, polyphenols have been associated with improved cardiovascular health markers, lipid profiles, and metabolic function, while reducing the risk of chronic diseases.¹ Polyphenols have even been recently recognized as having prebiotic activity for gut health.²

Within the polyphenol category, there are subcategories that include phenolic acids, stilbenes, lignans, and flavonoids. Flavonoids are the most abundant polyphenols in the human diet. They include noteworthy compounds such as anthocyanins (the antioxidant-rich color pigments that give berries their deep purple/red/black colors), flavan-3-ols (heart health compounds in tea and chocolate), and proanthocyanidins, or PACs (the bioactives that are linked to cranberry’s urinary tract health properties).

Until more recently, “flavonoids” has been a relatively unknown and underappreciated term. You certainly wouldn’t hear a consumer comment about making sure to eat their flavonoids that day. However, flavonoids like anthocyanins have started to garner more mainstream interest as the scientific community has given a lot of attention to the antioxidant potential and significant health benefits of this powerful bioactive class of compounds. The association between diets high in flavonoids and human health is undeniable—everything from anti-inflammatory properties³ and cardiometabolic health⁴ to improved brain function⁵ and even mood.⁶

The Need for Recommended Daily Intakes

With the level of proven health benefits from phytonutrients like flavonoids, they should be something consumers actively seek out in their diet and supplement choices. Just like trying to get enough protein or taking a fiber supplement, it would benefit consumer health to have recommended daily intakes for certain phytonutrients as well.

We’ve all heard the old expression, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Perhaps the catch phrase of this new era could involve getting daily polyphenols to keep the doctor away, complete with guidance about how much to aim for. Then foods and beverages could proudly proclaim flavonoid fortification, and supplements could be formulated to help fill the gaps in daily polyphenol/flavonoid intake.

Industry groups have taken the first steps. For example, in 2022 the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics developed a guideline and recommendation for daily intake of 400-600 mg of a flavonoid group called flavan-3-ols, commonly found in foods such as tea, cocoa, and certain fruits. This benchmark recommendation provides the structure for developing recommendations for other bioactives, such as how many anthocyanins we should strive to consume each day, and it sets the stage for future adoption by policymakers.

Of course, there could be challenges associated with formulating and labeling products with levels based on recommended daily intakes. For example, anthocyanins are sensitive to heat, and could start to degrade after certain processing steps of a food or supplement. But then again, even in aging produce, the numbers of phytonutrients can go down. Ultimately, it’s about getting more in our diet than we currently are, having targets to work toward, and education about why it’s important. It would also encourage innovation as the industry seeks out ways to increase phytonutrient stability in formulated products.

Delivering More Phytonutrients

What foods and ingredients are some of the greatest sources of these healthy polyphenols and flavonoids? Dark berries. Packed as they are with phytonutrients and blessed with existing recognition for health benefits on any given label, berries can make easy work of formulating products. With studied functionality, a large variety of ingredient forms, and natural color and flavor properties as added bonuses, they lend themselves to countless opportunities to create even healthier foods and beverages and effective supplements.

As a rule, the darker the berry, the higher the polyphenol content, largely driven by the high content of anthocyanin color pigments. This understanding can inspire product formulators to think beyond strawberries and raspberries and seek out deeply pigmented berries such as European black elderberry, black currant, and aronia berry.

With the movement toward quantification of phytonutrient bioactives and recommended intake, it underscores the importance of standardization in berry ingredients. Having a consistent amount of polyphenols in each lot of a berry powder helps formulators to know what they are delivering and formulate accordingly. Concentrated and standardized berry ingredients can make this possible.

Standardized levels of phytonutrients can also help to formulate more efficacious products. For example, if a human clinical trial identified a particular quantity of anthocyanins from black currant extract that could have a beneficial effect on tired eyes from excess screen use, that same level of black currant anthocyanins could be formulated into a vision supplement. Similarly, if the studied dose of European black elderberry extract delivered a particular amount of phytonutrient bioactives, then it would behoove formulators to utilize this level versus swapping out for lesser expensive options that may fall short. As the pendulum swings toward the importance of phytonutrients, that is what consumers will ultimately seek out.

A New Age of Formulations

We live in an exciting time of discovery and innovation. With modern science underscoring the critical importance of bioactive phytonutrient compounds to our health and wellness, the opportunities are plentiful for providing unique and effective products that capitalize on this knowledge.

Picture a future of protein supplements that provide protein-berry-polyphenol complexes that both increase the stability of the polyphenols and increase the bioavailability. And how about adding complementary benefits to your morning fiber supplement by fortifying with elderberry extract polyphenols shown to have prebiotic activity and support a healthy gut? Or, consider a world beyond gummies that infuse dried fruits with additional polyphenol power from standardized berry extracts. Anything and everything is possible.

Virtually all of us could benefit from adding more phytonutrients to our daily regimens. Berry ingredients can help make that a reality. The respect for phytonutrients is here to stay and they are ready to take their rightful place in consumers’ minds. Macros, Micros, and Phytos … it has a nice ring, doesn’t it?

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About the Author: Melanie Bush is vice president of science and research at Artemis International. With more than 15 years of experience at the company, her responsibilities span several departments including quality assurance, R&D, and technical sales support. She enjoys spearheading new research in the field of dark berry extracts and communicating the ever-evolving science of berry phytonutrients. 

References

1. Rana, A., Samtiya, M., Dhewa, T., Mishra, V., & Aluko, R. E. (2022). Health benefits of polyphenols: A concise review. Journal of food biochemistry, 46(10), e14264.

2. Reider, S., Watschinger, C., Längle, J., Pachmann, U., Przysiecki, N., Pfister, A., Zollner, A., Tilg, H., Plattner, S., & Moschen, A. R. (2022). Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Prebiotic Intervention with Polyphenols Extracted from European Black Elderberry-Sustained Expansion of Akkermansia spp. Journal of personalized medicine, 12(9), 1479.

3. Al-Khayri, J. M., Sahana, G. R., Nagella, P., Joseph, B. V., Alessa, F. M., & Al-Mssallem, M. Q. (2022). Flavonoids as Potential Anti-Inflammatory Molecules: A Review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 27(9), 2901.

4. Ockermann, P., Headley, L., Lizio, R., & Hansmann, J. (2021). A Review of the Properties of Anthocyanins and Their Influence on Factors Affecting Cardiometabolic and Cognitive Health. Nutrients, 13(8), 2831.

5. Wang, H., Zhao, T., Liu, Z., Danzengquzhen, Cisangzhuoma, Ma, J., Li, X., Huang, X., & Li, B. (2023). The neuromodulatory effects of flavonoids and gut microbiota through the gut-brain axis. Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology, 13, 1197646.

6. Chen, W. L., & Zhao, J. (2023). Association between dietary anthocyanidins intake and depression among US adults: a cross-sectional study (NHANES, 2007-2010 and 2017-2018). BMC psychiatry, 23(1), 525.