What are polyphenols, exactly? The term polyphenols is scientific in nature and describes the structure of a particular molecule. What’s important is knowing that they’re made by plants and consist of Tannins, catechins, flavonoids, and non-flavonoids. What makes them important is that they’re antioxidants, that’s what.

Are Polyphenols found in foods other than wine? The most common sources include berries, tea, beer, grapes/wine, olive oil, chocolate/cocoa, coffee, walnuts, peanuts, borojo, pomegranates, yerba mate, and other fruits and vegetables.

The antioxidants in red wine are polyphenols. They help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. These antioxidants are divided into two classes: flavonoids and nonflavonoids.

* Flavonoids. These antioxidants are found in a variety of foods, including oranges, apples, onions, tea and cocoa. Other types of alcohol, such as white wine and beer, contain small amounts, too, but red wine has higher levels.

* Nonflavonoids. These antioxidants found in red wine have recently been of particular interest because they appear to help prevent arteries from becoming clogged with fatty blockages. However, these studies mostly involved mice — not humans. Resveratrol is the nonflavonoid that researchers are most interested in. Noted neuroscientist, surgeon and Neurosurgeon to the Pittsburgh Steelers Joseph Maroon, M.D., wrote a book called The Longevity Factor about a group of natural substances — polyphenols — that can actually activate a specific set of genes in humans that promote a longer, healthier life.

Here Dr. Maroon talks about one such polyphenol: Resveratrol