Glossary: Phenolic Compounds

phenolic compounds

Also known as: Phenols; Phenolic Acids

What is it?

Highly complex, deeply controversial compounds that exist in every plant. Some are known to be carcinogenic (the safrole in sassafras, for example). Some, like the QUERCITIN in green beans and rhubarb, are thought to be mutagenic (capable of causing mutations in living cells). And some are clearly toxic (the coumarin in cabbage, radishes and spinach). Among the phenols are tannins (present in high doses in coffee, tea, red wine, beer, persimmons and other commonly eaten foods as well as in such herbal teas as bayberry, blackberry, comfrey and maté ), which can bind PROTEIN and damage the liver. Other phenols include many plant pigments and natural ANTIOXIDANTS, some of which are known to reduce the risk of certain cancers.

The mixes, the ratios and concentrations of phenols vary from plant to plant. And their impact on health depends on how they interact not only with one another but also with the hundreds of other elements and compounds in food, in the body. All of which explains the ongoing dilemma in scientific circles. Which phenolic compounds are harmful? Which healthful? Or are they all Jekyll and Hydes, part good, part bad? Alas, there are no easy answers.

Two phenolic compounds, ADDITIVES both, that have sounded the alarm among consumer advocates are BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE (BHA) and BUTYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE (BHT). Both are ANTIOXIDANTS used to extend the shelf life of cereals, dry soups, crackers, cold cuts, instant mashed potatoes and many other processed foods containing FAT. The trouble with BHA and BHT is that in some tests with laboratory animals, they have been shown to impair liver function, to slow the production of DNA and RNA and thus slow cell growth. It appears, furthermore, that for at least some people these additives act more directly on the brain, like a drug. They are low molecular weight chemicals and can pass through membranes. They have been shown to be 99% "bound" to blood proteins. This is how some psychoactive drugs also work. See explanation.

In other studies they've shown themselves to be carcinogenic, and in still others, just the opposite. For this reason — and because of a crusade on the part of consumer advocates — the FDA has targeted BHA and BHT for further tests. Meanwhile, both are being widely used. Scrutinize labels.

	This is a Benzene Ring. It is a ring of 6 Carbon atoms.
	This is a Phenol. The "-OH" stuck on the Benzene Ring is Oxygen + Hydrogen. It is called a Hydroxyl Group. There can be one or several on a phenol.
	This is Norepinephrine. It is a neurotransmitter. Notice the Hydroxyl Groups. (HO is the same as OH) It is phenolic.
	This is Salicylic Acid. It is the basis for the salicylate chemicals including aspirin. It, too, is phenolic