Foods High in Flavonoids

Flavonoids are plant substances named from the Latin root for yellow. Scientists from Omaha’s Creighton University think that the antioxidant activity in flavonoids is more effective than that in vitamins C and E. The flavonoids content of food is measured in milligrams per 100 grams for solid foods or in milliliters per 100 liters for liquids. Green tea is commemorated as an abundant source of flavonoids, offering as much as 246 milligrams per 100 grams, however a number of fruits also include flavonoids that might boost the antioxidant content of your diet.

Flavonoids are a big family of over 5,000 hydroxylated polyphenolic substances that carry out crucial functions in plants, consisting of attracting pollinating bugs; combating ecological tensions, such as microbial infection; and regulating cell growth. Their bioavailability and biological activities in human beings seem highly affected by their chemical nature. There has actually been a growing interest in dietary flavonoids due to their most likely contribution to the health advantages of fruit- and vegetable-rich diets.

Foods high in flavonoids: berries, hot peppers, grapes, teas, apples, kale, broccoli, parsley, thyme, pomegranates, celery, citrus fruit and juices, soybeans, soy foods, legumes, oranges, grapefruits, lemons.

Apples

According to Oregon State University’s Silvina Lotito, Ph.D., flavonoids are accountable for the deep colors of flowers and fruits. They safeguard plants from pathogens, ultraviolet light and stressors. Apples include 2 to 12 milligrams per gram of flavanols, a type of flavonoid.

When Lotito drew out the enzymes from apples and added them to human plasma, she found that the flavanol content of apple extract offered strong antioxidant properties. According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture, an apple’s flavanoid, quercetin, may reduce the risk of lung cancer, enhance lung function and help avoid the growth of prostate cancer cells.

Pomegranates

Researchers at California’s Loma Linda University think that the flavonoids in pomegranate juice may improve memory and enhance cognitive function. After giving either pomegranate juice or sugar water to mice for six months, they discovered that the mice that consumed pomegranate juice found out maze tasks faster than the others. The scientists require more research to check out whether flavonoids from pomegranates may be useful for treating cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Blackberries

Blackberries are abundant in phytonutrients, including 13 to 19 milligrams of flavonoids per 100 grams. Upon comparing the flavonoids in ranges of berries, scientists from China’s Zhejiang University figured out that blackberries contain a high concentration of anthocyanidins, a type of flavonoid that is responsible for darker coloring of some vegetables and fruits. Because of their anthocyanidin content, they concluded, blackberries include a much greater overall antioxidant capability than strawberries, even though strawberries consist of more than two times as much vitamin C as blackberries.

Red Grapes

Like apples, red grapes include quercetin. Scientists at Maastricht University in the Netherlands think quercetin may have antihistamine and anti-inflammatory benefits which it may use security versus osteoporosis, specific kinds of cancer and pulmonary and heart diseases.

Tree Fruits

Fruits that grow on trees have been shown to be high in flavonoids. Bananas include amounts of anthocyanidins consisting of cyanidin and delphinidin. Citrus fruits including grapefruit, lemons, limes and oranges are high in the flavonone group of flavonoids including hesperetin, naringenin and eriodictyol. Members of the Rosaceae family of tree fruits consisting of apples, pears, plums, peaches and apricots are known to be high in catechin and epicatechin and are best if taken in raw with the skin on.

Nuts and Beans

Some nuts and particular beans, in addition to being high in protein, are also high in flavonoids. Dark beans such as black and kidney beans have the tendency to be greater in flavonoids from the anthycyanidins group consisting of delphinidin, malvidin, petunidin and kaempferol while beans that are consumed in an immature type such as fava beans or pinto snap beans are abundant in flavonols such as epicatechin and epigallocatechin.

Walnuts and pecans are high in anthocyanidins while pistachios and cashews are high in the flavonols catechins. The king of all plant proteins is the soybean, which is high in catechins and a specific type of flavonoid, the isoflavone group consisting of genistein and daidzein.

Vegetables

Many veggies contain quantities of flavonoids, especially green and red veggies. Members of the nightshade family consisting of peppers, tomatoes and eggplants are high in the flavonols, quercetin and the flavones luteolin. Onions, especially red onions and green onions, are likewise high in quercetin. Green vegetables such as celery and artichokes are high in the flavones apigenin and luteolin, while veggies such as breeze beans, okra and broccoli are high in flavonols consisting of quercetin, kaempferol and myricetin.

Spices

Some spices and flavoring representatives are particularly high in certain types of flavonoids, and, while normally consumed in smaller sized quantities, may still provide some health advantages especially if used while fresh. Dill is known to be high in the flavonols quercetin and isorhamnetin while parsley is high in apigenin together with isorhamnetin. Thyme is high in the flavones luteolin and capers though rarely used are extremely high in the flavonols kaempferol and quercetin. The best news for some people might be that chocolate is understood to be really high in catechins, especially if consumed in the dark range.

What are Flavonoids?

Flavonoids are a big family of polyphenolic plant compounds. 6 major subclasses of flavonoids, namely anthocyanidins, flavan-3-ols, flavonols, flavanones, flavones, and isoflavones, flavonols are the most extensive in the human diet.

Dietary flavonoids are naturally occurring in fruit, vegetables, chocolate and drinks. There has been much interest in the possible health benefits of flavonoids related to fruit- and vegetable-rich diets.

The physicochemical properties of flavonoids influence their metabolic fate, i.e., their digestion, absorption, and biotransformation. The bioavailability of these polyphenols in vivo is a significant factor in their capability to put in biological activities appropriate to human health.

Flavonoids have been shown to display antiinflammatory, antithrombogenic, antidiabetic, anticancer, and neuroprotective activities through various systems of action in vitro and in animal designs.

Accumulating evidence from randomized controlled trials recommends that consumption of flavan-3-ols and anthocyanidins can be beneficial for metabolic and cardiovascular health.

The results of small randomized controlled trials recommend that intake of flavonoid-rich food and beverages including anthocyanins or flavan-3-ols might improve vascular endothelial function. As yet, it is not known whether these severe improvements result in long-term decreases in risk of cardiovascular disease.

Promising findings in randomized controlled studies indicate that supplementation with flavan-3-ols or anthocyanidins might enhance glycemic control in subjects at-risk or diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

In spite of appealing lead to animal research studies, only a restricted number of observational research studies have reported possible cancer preventive impacts of flavonoids in humans. Greater consumptions of soy isoflavones may be related to reduced threats of breast cancer in postmenopausal women and prostate cancer in men.

Proof suggesting that some flavonoids or foods high in flavonoids might improve cognitive function is presently limited, and it is not yet understood whether their consumption could decrease the risk of cognitive impairments and dementia in human beings.

High intakes of foods high in flavonoids are typically considered as safe, especially due to the fact that of their low bioavailability. Nevertheless, flavonoid supplements may impact the action of anticoagulants and increase the toxicity of a vast array of drugs when taken simultaneously.

Good luck! Have a nice weekend.