The phenolic acids are a group of non-essential, plant based nutrients that can be found in many different fruits and vegetables. Although they are not believed to be essential for human survival, studies have shown that they can prevent acne, fight free radicals and much more. In this article I will be providing a full breakdown of 2 phenolic acids, listing the best food sources and discussing their main health benefits.

1) CURCUMIN:

Curcumin can only be found in the spice turmeric with 100 grams (g) containing around 5g of this phenolic acid. It is a potent antioxidant that can keep your body’s cells safe from nasty free radicals. Free radicals are dangerous by-products that are released into your body’s cells during oxygen based reactions and have been linked with cancer (a health disorder where your body’s cells start to grow in a rapid, uncontrollable way), diabetes (a health disorder which leads to extremely high blood glucose levels), premature ageing and a weak immune system.

Early studies suggest that this phenolic acid may also be an antibacterial (a substance that prevents the growth of bacteria), antidepressant, anti-inflammatory (a substance that reduces unnecessary inflammation) and antiviral (a substance that prevents the growth of viral infections). Additionally, it may prevent Alzheimer’s disease (a mental condition which leads to memory problems, loss of thought and speech problems), prevent replication of the human immunodeficiency virus (a virus that is often referred to as HIV and leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) which eventually destroys your immune system) and prevent cancer. On top of this, curcumin may be effective at treating arthritis (inflammation of the joints), cataracts (clouding on the lenses of the eyes), diabetes, psoriasis (an inflammatory skin disorder that causes red, scaly patches to develop on the skin), kidney disease and multiple sclerosis (a nerve disorder that leads to depression, reduced mobility, weak muscles and vision problems). Finally, it may boost your blood health by preventing atherosclerosis (a condition where hard plaques form in your artery walls, block the flow of blood and increase your heart disease risk) and lowering blood levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (a type of cholesterol that causes blockages in the artery walls and increases your heart disease risk). However, more research is required before these provisional health benefits can be confirmed.

2) SALICYLIC ACID: