22
2 Polyphenols as Bioactive Compounds in Foods and Food Supplements
Table 2.1 Main nutritional features of the Mediterranean Diet (Vaz-Almeida et al. 2017)
Nutrients
% Total energy intake Particularities
Carbohydrates 60–70
Of which 50% starch
Protein
Around 10
Of high biological value; pulses and other vegetables
as relevant sources
Lipids
20–32
Monounsaturated fatty acid: oleic acid from olive oil
and nuts
Polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio n − 6: n – 3 = 1–2:
1 from fatty fish, nuts versus vegetable seed oils,
margarine
Modest saturated fatty acid intake
Alcohol
Null
Alcoholic drinks forbidden in the Muslim religion
4–7
Mainly from wine, during meals
Fibre
Not applicable
Rich in soluble and insoluble fibre, from fresh fruits,
vegetables, wholegrain cereals and nuts
Thus, in such a dietary pattern, the foods are complex and varied, nutrient-rich
and energy-low, encompassing a wide range and fair amounts of vitamins, aromatic
compounds, pigments, antioxidant molecules, fibres, oligosaccharides, tocopherols,
tannins, sterols, phytosterols, squalene, aliphatic and triterpenic alcohols, polyphenols, terpenes, etc. Each molecule has a specific role in establishing food properties
(as rheology and taste) as well as a specific role in the human body (nutritional value
and/or health-promoting properties).
Med Diet does not include ultraprocessed foods, which are energetically dense
and low in nutrients, despite the inclusion of industrially produced foodstuffs (coffee,
cheeses, wine). In addition, it encourages agro-biodiversity and seasonality, being
respectful to the environment, while the so-called western diet foods (sodas, fastfood, ultraprocessed foodstuffs) are responsible for the rise in obesity and other
non-communicable diseases. Products of this second food category generally also
have a high carbon footprint and contribute to deforestation and to the reduction of
biodiversity. Mediterranean Diet has been identified by FAO as a case study in the
sustainability of food systems because it simultaneously brings benefits to public
health and to the environment, among others (FAO; Ruini et al. 2015). The Mediterranean food pattern reveals the nutritional characteristics described in Table 2.1. It
is curious that at the bottom of the pyramid (figure of Chap. 1), we find fresh fruits
and vegetables, and at the next levels, we find olive oil, nuts and cereals. All these
foods provide high levels and diversity of polyphenols. However, when we examine the pyramid from the bottom to the top, we may easily deduce that the content
in polyphenols decreases. It is also notorious that plant-based foods have a lower
environmental impact than most foods of animal origin, according to (ref. double
pyramid). In short, Med Diet encompasses foods which are high in polyphenols
simultaneously reported as healthy and environmentally friendly.
2 Polyphenols as Bioactive Compounds in Foods and Food Supplements
Table 2.1 Main nutritional features of the Mediterranean Diet (Vaz-Almeida et al. 2017)
Nutrients
% Total energy intake Particularities
Carbohydrates 60–70
Of which 50% starch
Protein
Around 10
Of high biological value; pulses and other vegetables
as relevant sources
Lipids
20–32
Monounsaturated fatty acid: oleic acid from olive oil
and nuts
Polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio n − 6: n – 3 = 1–2:
1 from fatty fish, nuts versus vegetable seed oils,
margarine
Modest saturated fatty acid intake
Alcohol
Null
Alcoholic drinks forbidden in the Muslim religion
4–7
Mainly from wine, during meals
Fibre
Not applicable
Rich in soluble and insoluble fibre, from fresh fruits,
vegetables, wholegrain cereals and nuts
Thus, in such a dietary pattern, the foods are complex and varied, nutrient-rich
and energy-low, encompassing a wide range and fair amounts of vitamins, aromatic
compounds, pigments, antioxidant molecules, fibres, oligosaccharides, tocopherols,
tannins, sterols, phytosterols, squalene, aliphatic and triterpenic alcohols, polyphenols, terpenes, etc. Each molecule has a specific role in establishing food properties
(as rheology and taste) as well as a specific role in the human body (nutritional value
and/or health-promoting properties).
Med Diet does not include ultraprocessed foods, which are energetically dense
and low in nutrients, despite the inclusion of industrially produced foodstuffs (coffee,
cheeses, wine). In addition, it encourages agro-biodiversity and seasonality, being
respectful to the environment, while the so-called western diet foods (sodas, fastfood, ultraprocessed foodstuffs) are responsible for the rise in obesity and other
non-communicable diseases. Products of this second food category generally also
have a high carbon footprint and contribute to deforestation and to the reduction of
biodiversity. Mediterranean Diet has been identified by FAO as a case study in the
sustainability of food systems because it simultaneously brings benefits to public
health and to the environment, among others (FAO; Ruini et al. 2015). The Mediterranean food pattern reveals the nutritional characteristics described in Table 2.1. It
is curious that at the bottom of the pyramid (figure of Chap. 1), we find fresh fruits
and vegetables, and at the next levels, we find olive oil, nuts and cereals. All these
foods provide high levels and diversity of polyphenols. However, when we examine the pyramid from the bottom to the top, we may easily deduce that the content
in polyphenols decreases. It is also notorious that plant-based foods have a lower
environmental impact than most foods of animal origin, according to (ref. double
pyramid). In short, Med Diet encompasses foods which are high in polyphenols
simultaneously reported as healthy and environmentally friendly.