This research investigated the communication between dietary polyphenols, gut microbiota and the intestinal barrier (Peron G, et al., 2021).

Polyphenols also called bioflavonoids are plant compounds found to provide a variety of health benefits. They are present in a variety of plants.

The participants were adults 60 years or older. They were given a diet high in polyphenols for 8 weeks, and the results were compared with when they were given a diet with a lower polyphenol content.

The polyphenol rich diet increased the butyrate producing bacteria. Butyrate is a beneficial short chain fatty acid which reduces inflammation and supports the mucosal membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. The polyphenol rich diet also improved the intestinal barrier.

You can increase your polyphenol, bioflavonoid intake by eating a variety of plant-based food and also by taking them in a supplemental form.

Reference
Gregorio Peron, Giorgio Gargari, Tomás Meroño, Antonio Miñarro, Esteban Vegas Lozano, Pol Castellano Escuder, Raúl González-Domínguez, Nicole Hidalgo-Liberona, Cristian Del Bo', Stefano Bernardi, Paul Antony Kroon, Barbara Carrieri, Antonio Cherubini, Patrizia Riso, Simone Guglielmetti, Cristina Andrés-Lacueva, Crosstalk among intestinal barrier, gut microbiota and serum metabolome after a polyphenol-rich diet in older subjects with "leaky gut": The MaPLE trial, Clin Nutr. 2021 Oct;40(10):5288-5297.