Interactions between gut microbiota and polyphenols: A mechanistic and metabolomic review.

Abstract in brief

• Polyphenols are natural compounds with many health benefits, but their poor absorption in the body has made their bioactivity difficult to explain until recent research suggested they interact with gut microbiota.
• The review discusses how polyphenols can modify the diversity and composition of gut microbiota, promoting or inhibiting specific microorganisms depending on factors like dose, duration, and chemical structure.
• Furthermore, polyphenols influence important gut microbiota metabolites—such as short-chain fatty acids, dopamine, bile acids, and lipopolysaccharides—which may help explain their overall health-promoting effects despite limited direct absorption.