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Maintaining a healthy heart depends on several lifestyle factors, including regular physical activity, stress management, and avoiding smoking. But what you eat also plays a crucial role in supporting cardiovascular health.
Previous research has consistently shown that diets rich in nutrients such as fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, potassium, and magnesium are linked to better heart outcomes. Now, new research suggests that polyphenols, natural compounds found in many plant-based foods, may also offer significant long-term heart health benefits.
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Why Diet Matters for Heart Health
“Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, and diet is one of the most important factors we can change to protect heart health,” said Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, PhD, professor of human nutrition at King’s College London. “Making healthier food choices is key to preventing heart disease.”
Rodriguez-Mateos is the senior author of a new study published in BMC Medicine, which found that people who regularly consumed polyphenol-rich foods—including berries, coffee, olive oil, cocoa, and walnuts—tended to have better long-term cardiovascular health.
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Higher Polyphenol Levels Linked to Lower Heart Disease Risk
The study followed more than 3,100 adults from the TwinsUK cohort over a period of more than 10 years. Participants completed detailed food frequency questionnaires, and a subgroup provided urine samples to objectively measure polyphenol intake using dietary scores and metabolite analysis.
Researchers assessed cardiovascular risk using standard tools such as the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score and HeartScore. The results showed that individuals with higher levels of polyphenol metabolites had:
- Lower predicted cardiovascular disease risk
- Higher levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol
“These findings suggest that people with higher polyphenol exposure tend to show a more favorable cardiovascular profile,” Rodriguez-Mateos explained. While the study was observational and cannot prove cause and effect, the results strongly support a link between polyphenol-rich diets and heart health.
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Polyphenols May Slow Heart Disease Progression With Age
Although cardiovascular risk naturally increases as people age, the researchers found that participants with higher polyphenol intake experienced a slower rise in heart disease risk over the 11-year follow-up period.
“Those who consumed more polyphenols consistently showed lower predicted cardiovascular risk as they aged,” Rodriguez-Mateos said. “This suggests that diets rich in polyphenol-containing foods may help maintain better heart health over time.”
Previous randomized trials have also shown that polyphenols can improve blood vessel function, lower blood pressure, and support healthy cholesterol levels—partly by increasing nitric oxide availability, which helps blood vessels relax and improves circulation.
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Expert Perspective on Polyphenols and Heart Health
Commenting on the findings, Cheng-Han Chen, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist, noted that the study adds to growing evidence that polyphenols have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that support vascular health.
“With cardiovascular disease remaining the leading cause of death, understanding how everyday dietary choices influence heart health is essential,” Chen said. He added that future research may identify whether certain polyphenol-rich foods—such as tea, coffee, or specific berries—offer greater benefits than others.
Simple Ways to Add More Polyphenols to Your Diet
Registered dietitian Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN, emphasized that increasing polyphenol intake doesn’t require drastic dietary changes.
“These benefits come from foods most people already recognize—berries, apples, citrus fruits, nuts, beans, whole grains, herbs, spices, tea, and even dark chocolate,” she said.
Easy ways to boost polyphenol intake include:
- Adding berries to breakfast meals
- Mixing spinach or peppers into eggs
- Tossing beans into soups and stews
- Snacking on nuts or seeds
- Choosing green or black tea over sugary drinks
- Cooking with herbs and spices like turmeric, cinnamon, oregano, and basil
- Enjoying fruits such as apples, grapes, oranges, and pomegranates
“And yes—even a small square of dark chocolate paired with nuts can count,” Richard noted.
She also encouraged people to work with a registered dietitian to personalize dietary choices based on individual health goals.
“Polyphenols are nature’s protective compounds,” Richard explained. “Plants make them, and we benefit when we eat them.”