Risks and safety of polyphenol consumption

Polyphenols are chemicals found in plant foods that are controversial in their effect on health. Many believe that they are beneficial to humans because of the acute stressor applied to the body which causes upregulation of certain defense mechanisms within the body helping to fight cancers, infection, etc. Others believe that they are inherently damaging and the body wants to eliminate them by activating these defense systems. This study reviews the negative aspects of polyphenols, which includes the following properties: carcinogenic, estrogenic, iron depletion, drug interactions, thyroid interference, and genotoxic. The doses of polyphenols that cause these negative consequences to occur must still be studied to make positive or negative claims about their role in health.

Polyphenols: Should We Eat Them? Are They Necessary?