Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Polyphenols are natural phytochemical compounds in plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, cereal, legumes, tea, coffee, wine and cocoa; more than 8000 polyphenolic compounds, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes, lignans and polymeric lignans have been identified in whole plant foods. In recent years, there is growing evidence that polyphenols, due to their biological properties, may be unique nutraceuticals for prevention and treatment of obesity. Our aim here is to review the current evidences in relation to several potential efficacies of these bioactive components on various aspect of body weight control. Based on several in vitro, animal models and some human studies, dietary plant polyphenols and polyphenol-rich products modulate carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, glycemic and insulin response, improve adipose tissue metabolism, and alleviate oxidative stress and stress-sensitive signaling pathways and inflammatory processes, which are known as important underlying mechanisms in development of overweight and obesity. Moreover, dietary polyphenols have potential to reduce preadipocytes proliferation and differentiation and stimulate lypolysis and fatty acid �²-oxidation. Some polyphenol could also modulate principle genes involved in adipocytes metabolism. In conclusion, plant polyphenols including phenolic acids, flavonoids, stilbenes and lignans have been proposed as effective supplements for management of overweight and obesity. Use of polyphenol-rich foods should also be considered as another important strategy in dietary planning of overweight and obese subjects.

Biography

Zahra Bahadoran is a senior researcher at the Nutrition and Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (Islamic Republic of Iran). She holds a Master degree in Nutrition sciences and Diet therapy from the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. She is Ph.D by research in the field of nutrition and endocrine diseases at the Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. She has published more than 60 papers in journals and conference proceedings, including more than 40 papers in journals indexed in the Web of Science and Medline such as Nutrition and Metabolism, Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nutrition, Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, World Journal of Diabetes, Journal of Functional Foods, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Nutrition and Cancer, Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, Journal of Medicinal Foods, J of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Archive of Iranian Medicine, Iranian Journal of Public Health. She had several oral presentations on her research works in international congress including The 3rd International Congress on Lipid Metabolism & Atherosclerosis in Korea 2014, 17th International Conference on Food Science and Nutrition to be held in United Kingdom, 2015, 7th International Conference and Exhibition on Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods in Turkey 2014, 5th World Congress on Controversies to Consensus in Diabetes, Obesity and Hypertension in Turkey 2015.

Email: zahrabahadoran@yahoo.com