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Flavonoids are chemicals found in plants, but they have a range of curious effects on the human body. Research suggests they may be beneficial for our health and mental health. And because they’re so botanically ubiquitous, we consume them all the time.
But although they are common components of a balanced diet, some people choose to take flavonoid supplements to increase their intake. Here are five facts you should know before you decide to take the pill bottle.
What are flavonoids?
Flavonoids are a diverse class of chemical compounds created by plants. They are considered “secondary metabolites” because they are not directly involved in growth and development. Instead, they serve other purposes such as pigmentation, UV protection, and fighting harmful microbes.
About 6000 varieties of flavonoids have been identified to date.
Extracts from plants, these chemicals are used to create pharmaceutical, medical, agricultural and cosmetic products.
What foods contain flavonoids?
Flavonoids are abundant in plant-based foods. They are divided into several sub-categories, which include flavones, anthocyanidins, isoflavones, and flavanols.
You’ve probably read the headlines about how red wine and chocolate are good for you in small doses – the reason might be because they’re both high in flavonoids.
Some common foods that contain flavonoids include:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Herbs such as chamomile, peppermint, and rosemary
- Olive oil
- tea
- Cocoa
- Some wine
- Soy and beans
- Rice bran
- Nuts
- The vinegar
What do flavonoids do in the body?
Soon a lot. Research suggests that flavonoids have anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and antioxidant effects, as well as positive effects on the cardiovascular system. Certain flavonoids are being studied to treat metabolic problems, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, antibiotic resistant infections, and the H1N1 flu.
According to a review published in the Journal of Nutritional Science, their antioxidant effects – the ability to both reduce and remove harmful atoms called free radicals in the body – are of the greatest interest in the scientific community and therefore have the largest evidence base.
“Almost all groups of flavonoids have the ability to act as antioxidants,” the authors write.
Free radicals are produced naturally by the body during oxygen metabolism and can continue to damage cell membranes and even destroy cells. Our bodies produce antioxidants to help neutralize these destructive vagrants. Researchers believe that we can get even more antioxidant support by eating foods rich in flavonoids.
What do flavonoids do in the brain?
In November 2020, researchers published the results of a small study showing that flavanols (a subcategory of flavonoids) improve cognitive function and increase brain oxygenation levels in response to a stress event.
In the study, participants breathed air with 100 times higher concentrations of carbon dioxide than those found in normal air – essentially depriving their bodies of oxygen. Before and after the test, the participants drank a cocoa drink. Each participant completed the test twice. In one of the tests, the cocoa drink contained low levels of flavanols and the other contained high levels of flavanols. After the test, the participants performed a series of increasingly complex cognitive tests.
Participants who ingested the high-flavanol drink recovered from the carbon dioxide resistance test faster and better than those who consumed the low-flavanol drink. High flavanol drinkers also performed the high complexity cognitive tests with increased speed and accuracy, completing the most complex tasks an average of 11% faster than low flavanol drinkers.
Catarina Rendeiro is the lead author of the study and a lecturer in nutritional science at the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Birmingham.
“We have known for many years that the flavanols in cocoa in particular can improve vascular function in humans by improving the blood vessel. [and] arterial function “, says Lacemaker Reverse.
“These benefits are apparent even after a single dose. However, the extent to which some of these benefits might translate into the cerebrovascular system was less clear. Hence the purpose of this study,” she says.
The results are consistent with older studies on flavonoids and their effect on cognition, but more work is needed to determine whether they improve cognitive function or perhaps prevent cognitive decline.
There is also some evidence to suggest that flavonoids may help treat psychiatric disorders, including depression. In a 2017 article, researchers found that flavonoid supplements may work as an adjunct to traditional therapies for depression, but more work is needed to fully understand the effect of flavonoids on disease.
Do Flavonoid Supplements Work?
Widely available flavonoid supplements include quercetin, curcumin, silymarin, green tea extracts, and rutin.
Science suggests that flavonoid supplements are capable of having an effect on the body, but what these effects are, how desirable they may be, and whether they are better than food sources are disputed. Since flavonoids encompass a class of 6,000 compounds, it’s no surprise that there aren’t any generic claims to be made about the effectiveness of flavonoid supplements.
“There isn’t enough research on flavonoid supplements, most of the research has been done in the context of food products. Consuming these compounds in the context of foods (fruits and vegetables) is the safest and possibly the best way to do it, ”says Rendeiro.
The authors of a 2011 review published in Advances in Nutrition who examined the effect of flavonoids in foods versus supplements, point out that flavonoids exist biochemically inside fruits and vegetables, which contain a mixture of secondary metabolites.
“This complex mixture of secondary plant metabolites cannot be simulated by single purified compounds as dietary supplements,” the authors write.
The Micronutrient Information Center at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University warns that additional flavonoids may interact with certain prescription drugs. Such interactions may increase the toxicity of certain drugs or contribute to overdose.
As always, before embarking on a supplementation regimen, speak to your healthcare professional.
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