high intake of low-fat dairy products and healthy lipids— mainly from seafood—as well as low consumption of refined sugars, red meat and saturated fats. The ben- eficial effects of diets rich in plant foods—such as the Mediterranean one—can be ascribed, at least in part, to the huge phytochemical diversity of plant foods. Food plants typically contain hundreds of bioactive phyto chemicals, including polyphenols. Probably, poly- phenols, a class of widespread phenylalanine derivatives, including flavonoids, stilbenes and proanthocyanidins, have been the most investigated dietary phytochemi- cals in recent decades and represent a paradigm of the relationship between food and health. What are some examples of food sources rich in polyphenols? All plant-derived foods and beverages are significant sources of polyphenols, including fruit, vegetables, pulses, coffee, tea, cocoa and red wine. As I previously said, these metabolites arise from phenylalanine, an aromatic amino acid produced exclusively by plants. This implies that meat does not contain polyphenols, even though it is essential for a well-balanced diet. You described polyphenols as bioactive components. What does that mean for our health? Dietary polyphenols possess a number of well-demon- strated biological activities, since they are powerful in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, vaso-dilating, anti-thrombotic, antimicrobial and anti-cancer agents. This means that they can play a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, neuro- degenerative disorders and certain types of cancers. Indeed, oxidative stress and inflammation are mechanistically in- volved in the aetio-pathogenesis of the main chronic degenerative diseases, including some oral diseases, such as periodontitis. “Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, as is anti-cancer drug resistance. In this scenario, polyphenols could be promising natural antibiotics.” feature | m o c . k c o t s r e t t u h S / e r u t c a f u n a M t s e r o F s y x o F © You were the first researcher to touch upon the role plant compounds could play in periodontal regeneration. The ultimate goal of periodontal treatment is to achieve periodontal soft- and hard-tissue regeneration. In this regard, polyphenols can be considered as bone tissue protectants, suppressing osteoclast differentiation and activation, impairing bone resorption and improving bone anabolism–osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. Polyphenols are strong antioxidants and are present in red wine. Is there any hope for wine lovers that red wine could benefit oral health? Red wine is an alcoholic beverage, and obviously, I advise against using it to cure oral disease. Some years ago, we suggested that melatonin, another compound significantly present in some typical Mediterranean foods and beverages as well as, more generally, in many plant foods, could explain, at least in part, the health- promoting effects of the Mediterranean diet by acting in synergy or additively with polyphenols and other bioactive phyto- chemicals, such as carotenoids and glucosinolates. Melatonin, present in red wine, is a powerful antioxidant and anti- infl ammatory agent promoting bone metabolism in the oral cavity. roots 1 2020 37