Bioflavonoids are a group of polyphenolic molecules found in plants. These molecules are often associated with the bright yellow, orange and red pigments in flowers, fruits and leaves. Bioflavonoids have long been known to have beneficial effects on health, and are thought to act as protective antioxidants. Bioflavonoids are divided into six major classes based on chemical structure: flavonols, flavanones, flavones, isoflavones, flavanonols and anthocyanidins.
Reactive Oxygen Species
Free radicals, sometimes referred to as reactive oxygen species, or ROS, are naturally occurring molecules found in the environment and created in your body itself as byproducts of cellular metabolism. Free radicals are capable of causing damage because they disrupt the electrical forces that are necessary to maintain proper balance of fluids within and surrounding the cells of a tissue. Without proper fluid balance, cellular damage and death eventually occur. Bioflavonoids are thought to infer some of their health benefits by protecting cells and tissues from damage by reactive oxygen species.
The French Paradox
"The French paradox" refers to the relatively low incidence of cardiovascular disease in the Mediterranean population as it correlates to red wine consumption and a greater amount of saturated fat in the average diet than is found in other countries. This drew the attention of medical scientists whose collective research led to the finding that bioflavonoids are associated with decreased incidences of atherosclerosis and hypertension due to their ability to help the arteries and veins to relax. In some instances, bioflavonoids may help to protect the heart from toxic effects of certain anti-cancer medications.
Anti-inflammatory Activity
Several bioflavonoids have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects on diseases associated with inflammation such as arthritis, asthma and even some forms of cancer. Inflammation is caused by activity of the immune system. Inappropriate immune activity is associated with auto-immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Sources of Bioflavonoids
Bioflavonoids are naturally abundant in many different types of foods including tea, red grapes, citrus fruits, green leafy spices, soy beans, legumes and colorful berries. Regular consumption of bioflavonoid-containing foods contributes to overall health and wellness, in part because of their ability to quench the activity of reactive oxygen species and reduce the inflammatory action of the immune system.
References
- "Lethbridge Undergraduate Research Journal"; A Review of Potential Health Benefits of Flavonoids; Jay M. Patel; June 2008
- "Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research"; Flavonoids as Nutraceuticals: A Review; AR Tapas et al.; September 2008
- "Inflammation Research"; Flavonoids as anti-inflammatory agents: implications in cancer and cardiovascular disease; Ana Garc ´ia-Lafuente et al.; April 2009
