Based on their findings, it would appear a polyphenol-rich diet can help improve intestinal permeability in older adults.
As their analysis showed, cocoa and green tea, for example, were positively correlated with butyrate-producing bacteria, which is great for the gut. On the other hand, cocoa and green tea were negatively correlated with zonulin, which is a protein related to intestinal permeability.
As the study’s lead author Cristina Andrés-Lacueva, Ph.D., notes, “A higher intake of fruits, vegetables and foods such as those described in this paper provide fiber and polyphenols that could help counterbalance the damaging of permeability due to aging.”
