Plants depend on chemicals called bioflavonoids for survival. Therefore, there are a variety of bioflavonoids that exist in an abundance of foods. Scientific studies show that bioflavonoids may be useful in humans for health-related benefits. However, consult with your physician before trying to prevent, treat or cure any condition with bioflavonoids.
Melanoma
Bioflavonoids may provide benefits for people with melanoma cancer. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer of the cells that control the amount of pigment in the skin. Phloretin, a type of plant bioflavonoid found in apple tree leaves, may help improve the outcomes of this type of cancer. A study published in June 2009 in "Proquest UMI" found that Phloretin stopped the proliferation of this type of cancer cell in vitro. It also caused apoptosis, or death, of the cancerous cells.
Breast Cancer
Some bioflavonoids show promising evidence with regards to breast cancer. A study published in 2009 in "Acta Pharmacologica Sinica" found that quercetin and kaempferol were both effective in reducing the invasion potential of human breast cancer cells in vitro. Quercetin exists in a variety of fruits such as apples, as well as in vegetables, leaves and grains. Kaempferol is in foods including Brussels sprouts, apples, grapefruit and black teas.
Heart Protection
Bioflavonoids may have heart-protective benefits. A study published in October 2009 in the "Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology" found that in rats, supplementation with rutin lead to a smaller area of tissue death caused by a clinical procedure used induce myocardial infarctions, or heart damage. Rutin is a plant chemical that is found in citrus fruits, apple peel, black tea and other foods.
Liver Protection
There are some signs that bioflavonoids offer liver protection. A study published in 2007 in "Advanced Clinical and Experimental Medicine" found that supplementation with bioflavonoids extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis lead to protection of the liver in a rats fed a diet high in fat and cholesterol. Scutellaria baicalensis is a flowering plant that has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a diuretic.
References
- "Proquest UMI": Effect of Bioflavonoids Isoliquiritigenin and Phloretin on Human Melanoma Cancer HO1 Cells; Harshil Patel, M.S.; June 2009
- "Acta Pharmacologica Sinica": Inhibition of MMP-3 Activity and Invasion of the MDA-MB-231 Human Invasive Breast Carcinoma Cell Line by Bioflavonoids; Kanokkarn Phromnoi, Supachai Yodkeeree, Songyot Anuchapreeda, et al.; 2009
- "Wiley Online Library": Cardioprotective Actions of two Bioflavonoids, Quercetin and Rutin, in Experimental Myocardial Infarction in Both Normal and Streptozotocin-Induced Type I Diabetic Rats; Dr Akula Annapurna, Challa S. Reddy, Raju B. Akondi, et al.; October 2009
- "Index Copernicus International": The Influence of Bioflavonoids from the Radix of Scutellaria baicalensis on Liver Enzymes and the Antioxidative System in Laboratory Rats Receiving Diets Containing Fresh or Oxidized Fats; Bozena Regulska-Ilow, Przemyslaw Kowalski, Jadwiga Biernat, et al.; 2007
