The Nutraceutical Impact of Polyphenolic Composition in Commonly Consumed Green Tea, Green Coffee and Red Wine Beverages: A Review
Commonly consumed beverages, e.g. green tea, green coffee, and red wine, have gained a prominent role in food science due to their nutraceutical value. The high content in bioactive compounds, particularly polyphenols, able to scavenge free radicals and other reactive species, has led to considerable interest in assessing the impact of their consumption in human diet. In vitro and in vivo tests have highlighted the multiple reaction mechanisms involved in the protective role of polyphenols; nevertheless, the variability of chemical structures of phenolic compounds, their reactivity and side effects, and their availability to the human metabolism are key issues to increase awareness on the use of functional beverages as diet supplements. This review aims to provide chemical and nutraceutical bases to establish the healthy effects induced by green tea, green coffee and red wine polyphenols intake in human diet.