Part 2: Which Tibico Ferments Give You the Most Polyphenols?
In Part 1, we explored what polyphenols are, why they're attracting so much attention from scientists, and how Tibico's unique slow anaerobic lacto-fermentation helps unlock naturally occurring polyphenols from fruit, making many of them more bioaccessible.
Now it's time to answer the question many of you have been asking:
Which Tibico ferments are richest in polyphenols?
The answer starts with the ingredients... but it's our fermentation that makes Tibico truly unique.
More Than Just Fruit
Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds produced by plants to protect themselves from sunlight, insects, disease and environmental stress. They are responsible for many of the rich reds, deep purples, brilliant blues and vibrant yellows we see in nature.
To date, scientists have identified more than 8,000 different polyphenols, many of which are now recognised for their interaction with the gut microbiome.
Unlike vitamins, many polyphenols aren't absorbed immediately. Instead, they travel to the large intestine where beneficial gut bacteria transform them into smaller metabolites that our bodies can use.
The more diverse your intake of colourful plants, the more diverse the range of polyphenols reaching your microbiome.
That's one of the reasons nutrition experts such as Professor Tim Spector and Dr Federica Amati encourage us to "eat the rainbow" and aim for around 30 different plant foods each week.
Why Tibico Is Different
Every Tibico ferment begins with carefully selected fruits, herbs or botanicals.
What makes Tibico different is what happens next.
Our drinks undergo a slow anaerobic lacto-fermentation, allowing beneficial lactic acid bacteria to gently transform the ingredients over time.
During this natural process, the fruit matrix begins to soften and many naturally occurring polyphenols become more bioaccessible... meaning they are more readily available for your gut microbes to metabolise.
Fermentation doesn't create new polyphenols.
It simply helps unlock more of those already present within the ingredients.
At the same time, fermentation naturally produces organic acids and a wide range of microbial metabolites while supporting living microorganisms throughout the process.
This remarkable partnership between plants and microbes is one of the reasons fermented foods have been enjoyed for thousands of years... and why they continue to fascinate modern scientists.
Our Most Polyphenol-Rich and Diverse Ferments
Every Tibico ferment contributes its own unique spectrum of naturally occurring polyphenols.
Rather than searching for a single "superfood", we believe diversity is the key.
Here are the stars of the Tibico collection.
🫐 Wild Berry
Blackberries • Blackcurrants • Raspberries • Strawberries
Wild Berry is our celebration of berry diversity.
Blackcurrants are naturally rich in anthocyanins, blackberries contribute ellagitannins and flavonols, raspberries provide ellagic acid, while strawberries add their own unique flavonoids.
Together they create one of the broadest and richest natural polyphenol profiles in the Tibico range.
🍒 Sour Cherry
Sour cherries are naturally abundant in anthocyanins, chlorogenic acids and other flavonoids.
Their deep ruby colour reflects their naturally high concentration of colourful plant compounds that have been widely studied for their interaction with the gut microbiome.
🌺 Raspberry & Hibiscus
Raspberries contribute ellagic acid and anthocyanins, while hibiscus flowers are naturally rich in colourful flavonoids and anthocyanins.
The result is a beautifully balanced ferment with impressive polyphenol diversity.
🌺 Rhubarb, Ginger & Hibiscus
This distinctive blend combines the tart phenolic compounds of rhubarb with the vibrant anthocyanins of hibiscus and the naturally occurring gingerols and shogaols found in ginger.
A wonderfully complex ferment in both flavour and plant chemistry.
❤️ Beetroot
Beetroot contains naturally occurring phenolic compounds together with betalains... the deep crimson pigments responsible for its remarkable colour.
Fermentation complements these compounds beautifully, helping release more of nature's goodness.
🍓 Strawberry & Cardamom
Strawberries provide anthocyanins, ellagic acid and flavonoids, while cardamom contributes aromatic polyphenols that add both complexity and character.
A lighter, elegant ferment packed with natural plant compounds.
🍎 Apple
Apples remain one of the most important everyday dietary sources of polyphenols.
Rich in quercetin, catechins and chlorogenic acid, they remind us that healthy plant compounds aren't found only in dark berries.
🫚 Ginger & Turmeric
This botanical ferment brings together two extraordinary plants.
Ginger contributes gingerols and shogaols, while turmeric provides curcuminoids... the golden polyphenols that have attracted enormous scientific interest.
Together they offer a completely different family of plant compounds, helping broaden dietary diversity.
🍍 Pineapple, Mint & Lime
Bright, refreshing and naturally different.
Pineapple contributes phenolic acids, lime provides citrus flavonoids, while mint adds rosmarinic acid and other aromatic polyphenols.
Another reminder that eating the rainbow is about diversity... not simply darker colours.
Diversity Is the Real Superpower
One of the biggest lessons emerging from nutritional science is that no single fruit provides everything.
Different plants contain different polyphenols.
Different polyphenols nourish different microbial species.
Different microbes produce different beneficial metabolites.
That's why variety matters.
By rotating through the Tibico range, you're not just enjoying different flavours... you're introducing your microbiome to a broader spectrum of colourful plant compounds.
Wild Berry today.
Sour Cherry tomorrow.
Apple later in the week.
Perhaps Ginger & Turmeric or Pineapple, Mint & Lime at the weekend.
Every ferment tells a different story.
The Next Chapter for Tibico
This August marks an exciting milestone for Tibico.
We're beginning a three-month research programme with Campden BRI, one of the UK's leading food and drink research organisations.
The project will include both microbiological and biochemical evaluation of our processes and ferments, helping us better understand the microorganisms, metabolites and naturally occurring compounds that make Tibico unique.
For years we've been humbled by thousands of customer reviews describing their experiences with Tibico. While individual testimonials are personal experiences and not scientific evidence, they have inspired us to ask deeper questions about what is happening inside every bottle.
Working with Campden BRI will allow us to investigate the science behind our ferments in greater detail and build a stronger evidence base around their unique characteristics.
We're incredibly excited to share what we discover.
Watch this space.
The Tibico Philosophy
At Tibico, we believe the best nutrition starts with nature.
Real fruit.
Real botanicals.
Traditional slow lacto-fermentation.
No shortcuts.
Every bottle is crafted to combine colourful plant ingredients with the transformative power of fermentation, helping unlock naturally occurring polyphenols while creating a living, complex ferment unlike conventional soft drinks.
So don't settle for just one flavour.
Drink the rainbow. Explore the range.
Feed your microbiome with a greater diversity of plants.
And enjoy fermentation exactly as nature intended.
References
- Del Rio D, Rodriguez-Mateos A, Spencer JPE, et al. Dietary (Poly)phenolics in Human Health: Structures, Bioavailability, and Evidence of Protective Effects. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling. 2013.
- Cardona F, Andrés-Lacueva C, Tulipani S, et al. Benefits of Polyphenols on Gut Microbiota and Implications in Human Health. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2013.
- Tomás-Barberán FA, Selma MV, Espín JC. Interactions Between Dietary Polyphenols and Gut Microbiota. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care. 2016.
- Rodríguez H, Curiel JA, Landete JM, et al. Food Phenolics and Lactic Acid Bacteria. International Journal of Food Microbiology. 2009.
- Filannino P, Di Cagno R, Gobbetti M. Metabolic and Functional Paths of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Plant Foods. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 2018.
- Spector T. Food for Life: The New Science of Eating Well. Jonathan Cape, 2022.
- Amati F. Every Body Should Know This. Penguin, 2024.