Abstract
Flavanols, in particular (-)-epicatechin (EC) and anthocyanins (AC) are among the most abundant plant food bioactives present in the diet. Both epidemiological and clinical dietary intervention trials support their cardiometabolic health benefits.(1-3) Intervention trials have shown consistent and promising effects upon their consumption on biomarkers of human cardiometabolic health including improvements in endothelial function, blood pressure, blood lipids and glucose metabolism in healthy, at risk and diseased people. However, the mechanisms of action are still not entirely understood. In a paper published in this issue of The Journal of Nutrition, Cremonini et al. (4) demonstrate in mice and GLUTag cells, a model of enteroendocrine L cells, how EC, different ACs and AC metabolites increase glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) by modulation of its metabolism.