• 1988 – BSc in Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
• 1989-1993 – Predoctoral fellow, Instituto de Nutrición y Bromatología (Consejo Superior de investigaciones Científicas - CSIC), Madrid (Spain)
• 1993 – PhD in Chemistry, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid
• 1994-95 – Postdoctoral fellow (EU-Marie Curie grant), MRC Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre, Cambridge (UK)
• 1996-98 – Researcher, Instituto del Frío (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
• 1998 – Tenured Scientist (CSIC)
• 2005-2006 – Head of Department, Metabolism and Nutrition, Instituto del Frío, CSIC
• 2006-present – Vice Director, Instituto del Frío, CSIC

“...although the overall health effects of polyphenols can be considered as good, special caution has to be taken before recommending their intake mainly as dietary supplements”

Working in the field of polyphenolic compounds has become a very rewarding yet also very competitive activity, since there are literally hundreds of researchers worldwide following this line of investigation. Still, there is much work to be done, and every contribution helps to shed light on the mechanisms of action of polyphenols in relation to their health effects, opening new opportunities for the potential application of these compounds in the prevention of different pathologies and in food science as functional ingredients.

My pre-doctoral research was mainly focused on the study of the physiological effects of polyphenols as non-digestible food components in comparison with non-digestible carbohydrates (dietary fiber and resistant starch). This was in the early ‘90s, when polyphenols were still regarded mainly as antinutrients. However, we became aware of the beneficial effects polyphenols and polyphenol-rich foods had on some biological markers (e.g. plasma lipid profile, intestinal fermentation, transit time, etc.), effects that were similar to those of dietary fiber. After a short parenthesis during my postdoctoral stay at the Dunn Nutrition Centre in Cambridge, I resumed my research on polyphenols as antioxidants and bioactive compounds, which is still my main research interest.

In only a few years, the research on polyphenols had greatly spun, with an immense number of published papers on the occurrence and biological effects of polyphenolic compounds, and only a few reviews available.

After updating my own records on the bibliography on polyphenols I thought it might be of help to gather and condense all that information in a review which, I must say, I really enjoyed writing.

The nutritional importance of polyphenols is clear as dietary antioxidants and potential chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic substances in diseases as widespread as cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, inflammation, etc. However, there is still much that needs to be known, also in relation to potential adverse effects derived from the excessive consumption of these compounds. Thus, although the overall health effects of polyphenols can be considered as good, special caution has to be taken before recommending their intake mainly as dietary supplements.

As mentioned above, the field of research on polyphenols has experienced a most remarkable growth in the last years, probably becoming one of the most extended research focuses in the field of Agricultural Sciences. Nowadays, research on polyphenols is undertaken not only by nutritionists and food chemists, but also by molecular biologists, biochemists, clinicians, epidemiologists, etc., which has greatly contributed to the expansion of this field of investigation.

Presently, in my group we are still developing research on polyphenols, especially on the cellular metabolism of these compounds, as well as on their biological actions. We are studying their effects on the regulation of cell signaling pathways involved in cell death (apoptosis) and/or survival, which is key to understanding the role of polyphenols in cancer prevention. We are also studying the effects of polyphenol-rich foods in cardiovascular disease, with an ongoing human intervention study.

On the other hand, we are starting research on a very interesting field, new to me, involving the Maillard reaction products, where all the knowledge and experience gained in the study of the biological activity of polyphenols will be applicable.