Phytonutrients and weight control: the role of polyphenols

Phytonutrients have been widely recognized as potentially useful for human health and as effective nutritional supple-ments. Indeed, it has been shown that the intake of phytonutrients, alone or in combination, can improve overall health due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties. Among the most important, in terms of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory function, are carotenoids, phytoestrogens, polyphenols and sulphides. Of all the phytonutrients found in the Mediterranean diet, polyphenols have certainly attracted the most attention in the world of research, as they play an extremely important role in the prevention of chronic degenerative conditions such as car-diovascular, neurodegenerative and oncological diseases. The intake or supplementation of vitamin B3 and/or caffeine appears to play an important role in human health: vitamin B3 promotes mitochondrial respiration and in addition improves food digestion by acting on the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, while caffeine stimulates the nervous system generating positive effects on long-term memory. The aim of this review is to analyze studies that high -light the possible positive and protective role of phytonutrients on energy expenditure and metabolism in overweight subjects. A mixture composed of polyphenols, vitamin B3 and caffeine could, in the light of what has been observed, represent an optimal nutritional strategy capable of positively intervening on cardio-metabolic risk factors in overweight or obese subjects and thus be an important support in both the prevention and treatment of dysmetabolic diseases.