Abstract: Ionizing radiation could directly and indirectly cause cells and animals damage,lead to cell membrane lipid peroxidation,DNA damages(base oxidation,single or double chain splitting,chromosome crosslinking and genome instability),protein carbonylation,even death. Polyphenol compounds was a kind of plant secondary metabolites,exists in almost all the plants,and varieties. A large number of studies have found that polyphenol compounds have radioprotective effect aganist ionizing radiation,can reduce various oxidative damages caused by ionizing radiation. The protection mechanism were followed by improving oxidative damages,improving immune injuries,reducing inflammation,stabling genomic DNA and activing antiapoptotic pathways,and so on.This article mainly reviewed the ionizing radiation damage mechanism,and the research progress of radiation protection mechanism of polyphenols,in order to have guiding significance to the radiation protection studies of polyphenols and other natural products.