Volume 29, Issue 163, September 2025

Maternal Polyphenol Consumption and Pregnancy Outcomes: Current Evidence and Perspectives

Joanna Karina Banaśkiewicz^1♦, Martyna Zwierzchowska², Agata Antoniak³, Anna Maria Jocz⁴, Natalia Katarzyna Wagner-Bieleń⁵, Anna Centkowska⁶, Jakub Ziółkowski², Gabriela Helena Dąbrowska⁷, Maria Anna Żmijewska⁸, Aleksandra Maria Żyta²

¹Independent Public Health Care Complex - Hospital in Iłża, ul. Bodzentyńska 17, 27-100 Iłża, Poland
²Independent Public Clinical Hospital of Prof. W. Orlowski CMKP, ul. Czerniakowska 231, 00-416 Warsaw, Poland
³Praski Hospital of the Transfiguration of the Lord, al. "Solidarności" 67, 03-401 Warsaw, Poland
⁴Specialist Provincial Hospital in Ciechanów, Powstańców Wielkopolskich 2, 06-400 Ciechanów, Poland
⁵Military Institute of Medicine - National Research Institute, ul. Szaserów 128, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland
⁶Wolski Hospital of Dr. Anna Gostyńska, ul. Marcina Kasprzaka 17, 01-211 Warsaw, Poland
⁷The Infant Jesus Teaching Hospital, ul. Williama Heerleina Lindleya 4, 02-005 Warsaw, Poland
⁸Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 61, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Joanna Karina Banaśkiewicz, Independent Public Health Care Complex - Hospital in Iłża ul. Bodzentyńska 17, 27-100 Iłża, Poland

ABSTRACT

Polyphenols are plant-derived compounds that we consume daily in large amounts through food. They have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Researchers have shown that these compounds affect the health of an expectant mother and her developing baby; however, their effects are twofold and can be both positive and negative. In this review, studies from the past 20 years listed in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were examined using terms such as “polyphenols in pregnancy,” “oxidative stress,” “fetal development,” and “ductus arteriosus.” The papers show that a moderate intake of certain polyphenols (especially resveratrol, EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), and curcumin) may help lower the risk of pregnancy problems related to oxidative stress, including preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. However, very high doses can be harmful, for example, by triggering early closure of the ductus arteriosus in late pregnancy, and some polyphenol may disturb the first stages of pregnancy. While many authors focus on potential benefits, overuse could leave lasting adverse effects on the fetus. More human studies are needed to set safe polyphenols intake limits and create clear dietary guidelines for pregnant women.

Keywords: polyphenols, pregnancy, oxidative stress, ductus arteriosus, fetal development

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e151ms3683

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i163.e151ms3683

Published: 05 September 2025