Menopause Review (Apr 2011)
Związki polifenolowe i ich suplementacja u kobiet po menopauzie
Abstract
Polyphenolic compounds are a broad group of organic compounds of plant secondary metabolites, whichhave in their structure one or more aromatic rings and from one to several hydroxyl groups with acidic character.Due to their heterogeneous construction polyphenolic compounds have been classified into several groups:simple phenols, phenolic acids, coumarins, xanthones, stilbenes, lignans, anthraquinones and the largest group– flavonoids. Polyphenols are characterized by a variety of biological activity. As natural antioxidants, they mayprotect against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Moreover, they have theability to seal blood vessels and of vasodilatation. Polyphenolic compounds also have anti allergic, antibiotic,antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anticoagulation effects. Many recent studies haveshown that a diet rich in polyphenolic compounds modulates several biomarkers of cardiovascular diseaseand cancer. Thanks to their pro-health properties, an increasing number of dietary supplements based on plantextracts are introduced for commercial use. Clinical studies confirm the effectiveness of supplementation withproducts containing polyphenolic compounds in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausalwomen. Polyphenols also have the ability of aromatase inhibition, which means that they can be used in theprevention of breast cancer. This article describes the characteristics and biological properties of polyphenoliccompounds, as well as clinical studies conducted in postmenopausal women taking polyphenols.
