Plandaí Biotechnology director, Dr. Ming Hu, recently addressed his published study on the bioavailability of flavonoids and polyphenols and its importance on human health and nutrition.
Dietary polyphenols are derived from plants and are consumed in the forms of fruits, vegetables, spices, and herbs. Collectively they are a main source of antioxidants for humans and are responsible for a variety of biological activities, ranging from anti-aging and anticancer to lowering of blood cholesterol levels and improving bone strength. Millions of women also take a subclass of polyphenols called phytoestrogens to relieve symptoms associated with menopause.
Bioavailability is the body’s ability to absorb various nutrients consumed. For most dietary antioxidants, less than five percent of the nutrients are actually absorbed, resulting in the need to consume massive dosages to achieve a clinical effect. Additionally, certain additives, including sugars and dairy, can neutralize the anti-oxidant properties. In the case of green tea, which has become hugely popular as a dietary supplement, you need to consume 8-10 cups a day; but if your green tea is sweetened, it may be useless. According to Dr. Hu’s study, historically very little attention has been paid to increasing bioavailability. He asks the question, are these flavonoids and polyphenols as effective as people believe?
Typical polyphenols have oral bioavailability (mostly in animals) of 10% or less, and a range of 2-20% is quite common. For polyphenols to become bioavailable, the following barriers must be overcome: solubility, permeability, metabolism, excretion, target tissue uptake, and disposition.
Plandaí’s proprietary CRS processing system is specifically designed to alter the stereochemical structure of the polyphenols into a ratio more readily absorbable by human tissue. For practical purposes, the converted phytonutrients should be five to eight times more bioavailable than traditional extracts, resulting in a clinical dose being more readily available and affordable as an additive to a variety of beverages, supplements and nutriceuticals.
Chief Executive Officer, Roger Duffield, commented, “We are at the forefront of developing enhanced bioavailable products which, we believe, can revolutionize the nutritional supplement and health drink marketplace. As more research is conducted, such as that done by Dr. Hu, people will be forced to examine what they consume and start to demand products that are based on science rather that slick marketing.”
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