5 questions everyone should ask about bioflavonoids

Scientists are quickly realizing that bioflavonoids are an important part of healthy living. These answers to questions about bioflavonoids will help you learn more about how they can help you.

• Bioflavonoids are a group of naturally occurring phytochemicals that act primarily as plant pigments and flavourants.
• Numerous compounds fall into this family of substances. Different bioflavonoids include isoflavones, anthocyanidins, flavans, flavonols, flavones, and flavanones.

• Bioflavonoids are found in a wide range of foods, particularly fruits and vegetables.
• Flavanones are found in citrus fruits, isoflavones in soy products, anthocyanidins in wine and flavans in apples.
• Other foods high in bioflavonoids include apricots, blackberries, black currants, broccoli, cantaloupe, cherries, grapefruit, grapes, green peppers, papayas, plums, and tomatoes, as well as coffee and cocoa.

Ongoing studies of these compounds show they have many potential health benefits:

• Bioflavonoids improve capillary strength by helping to maintain the permeability in the capillary wall.
• Recent research indicates that some bioflavonoids are inhibitors that prevent blood clot formation. These bio­flavonoids may be useful in treating phlebitis and other clotting disorders.
• Resveretrol and quer­cetin, bioflavonoids in grape skins, are thought to reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Many bioflavonoids prevent cellular damage caused by free radicals, unstable molecules that are formed when the body uses oxygen.
• Some bioflavonoids are used as food preservatives to prevent oxidation of fats. Others enhance the antioxidant action of nutrients.
• Cancer-causing substances may be hampered by bioflavonoids.
• Some bioflavo­noids destroy certain bacteria, retarding food spoilage and protecting from food-borne infections.

A number of bioflavonoids are currently being studied for potential therapeutic uses:

• Hesperidin is a bioflavonoid in the blossoms and peels of citrus fruits. It may help treat easy bruising and other bleeding abnormalities.
• Rutin, found in buckwheat leaves and some other plants, is being studied for treating glaucoma and the retinal bleeding in diabetics.
• Rutin may also reduce tissue damage from frostbite, radiation exposure and hemophilia.
• Quercetin may improve lung function and lower risk of certain respiratory diseases, such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema.
• Quercetin may also help treat or even prevent prostate cancer.

• No Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) has been established for bioflavonoids.
• Bio­fla­vo­noids and vitamin C are present in the same foods, and the body metabolizes both in a similar way.
• Studies show that if a diet contains enough fruits and vegetables to supply 60 milligrams of vitamin C, it will provide adequate bioflavonoids.
• Good sources of vitamin C include oranges, lemons, cantaloupe, tomatoes, blackberries, broccoli, and green peppers.

Bioflavonoids can offer many different benefits to people who eat a healthy diet, including lowering the risk for many diseases. Be sure to get your daily dose of vitamin C to help you see the benefits.