Polyphenols are natural chemicals that are abundantly found in many plants including fruits and vegetables, green tea, black tea, coffee, chocolate, olives, red wine, and extra virgin olive oil. (Not all of those foods are good for dogs and cats BTW!)

These super-phytochemicals are jam-packed with antioxidants and a big reason we focus so much on whole foods in our Bestie Kitchen supplements.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a superfood. This ancient fruit originated from the Mediterranean region, tropical Africa, and Southeast Asia. It’s has been described in religious books as one of the paradise fruits.

Today, various scientific studies are focused on pomegranate’s nutritional value and therapeutic actions such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. However, it’s also high in ellagic acid. Ellagic acid is responsible for the antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects of pomegranate.

Many scientific studies have demonstrated the immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory activity, and disease-fighting properties of papaya. Papaya is a major ingredient in our health jelly mix The Pep-Up, designed to provide support to a struggling immune system. We explain the benefits of papaya.

Broccoli is an antioxidant, rich in carotenoids, as well as vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, folate, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. It is also rich in glucosinolates, helpful in regulating inflammation, metabolic function, and stress responses.

Papaya extracts and papaya-associated phytochemicals possess anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Papaya contains a wide range of bioactive secondary metabolites (eg alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, tannins, saponins) and proteolytic enzymes (papain and chymopapain). It's also rich in lutein, a type carotenoid.

Cranberries contain citric, chinic, benzoic and oleic acids, vitamins C and P, carotene, saponins, amino acids, routine, quercetin, glycoside, microelements (iodine, iron, copper, manganese. They've been shown in some research, to have a role in supporting urinary tract health.

Blackcurrant fruit contains polyphenolic substances with antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. Various studies have highlighted the antibacterial activity exerted by ribes nigrum (blackcurrant) juice on bacterial strains - in particular streptoccocus mutans, porphyromonas gingivalis and candida albicans - associated with gingival inflammation, oral malodour, and dental caries formation.

Fruits, such as blueberries, are good antioxidants because they contain phenolics that preferentially react with free radicals. Oxidative damage from free radicals plays an important role in several diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and heart disease. It’s also been shown that strenuous exercise in people and dogs produces free radicals and that maintaining antioxidant levels by supplementing the diet with blueberries may prevent exercise-induced oxidative damage. 

Kale is rich in betacarotene as well as lutein, and other vitamins and minerals. Kale is rightly called a superfood and is rich in betacarotene as well as lutein, and other vitamins and minerals. Dietary lutein has been shown to cause a significantly enhanced cell-mediated and humoral immune response in dogs. It’s also been shown to enhance the antibody response of dogs given routine vaccinations.