FoOdS In BiOfLaVoNoIdS

Not so long ago vitamins and minerals were the big deal. Now, we have phytochemicals, antioxidants, and the latest…bioflavonoids.

What are they?
Bioflavonoids are a class of chemical compounds found in plants that are very important in maintaining health. Generally, they work like antioxidants by scavenging for free radicals in the body. Free radicals are not leftover hippies, but are byproducts of the body’s metabolism, or are present in environmental pollutants like smog, cigarette smoke, or pesticides. Free radicals impact health in two ways. First, they cause oxidation of LDLs in the arteries. When LDLs are oxidized they start to form plaque, which clogs the arteries and leads to heart disease. Second, free radicals can act as cancer promoters by allowing certain enzymes to interact with pollutants and become carcinogenic. Quenching the free radicals prevents this from happening. Bioflavonoids can also act as cancer suppressors once the cancer has already formed.

What else do the bioflavonoids do?
These compounds work with vitamin C to promote cellular integrity. Skin health is especially impacted by adequate amounts of vitamin C and bioflavonoid availability. They also stimulate the immune system, reduce allergic response, and protect against bacteria and viruses.

What foods contain bioflavonoids?
Bioflavonoids are present in many of our favorite foods. Fruits and vegetables are the main sources for them, and many studies now show the connection between intake and reduction of risk of heart disease and cancer. This is an old, old, message, but still a true one. We need fruits and vegetables for good health. Supplements are an attractive way to substitute for the inconvenience of eating a balanced diet, but we still don’t know exactly how Mother Nature devised her plan of providing what we need in the foods available to us. We should eat these good foods because there is so much we don’t know yet about nutrition. In people with deficiencies, supplements make sense, but here in the United States deficiencies are rare.
Since it is important to get all the different bioflavonoids in our diet for optimum health, we need to vary our diets. As you can see from the following table, bioflavonoids can be divided into five subclassifications. Each subclass contains different foods that offer protection, so it is important to eat as varied a diet as possible. Sometimes it is easier to get into a rut of eating the same foods over and over, but a little careful planning can add variety and interest as well as increase the likelihood of getting all the nutrients we need.

Bioflavonoids
Food Sources
Anthocyanidins
Berries, cherries, grapes, fruit skins, and true fruit juices
Catechins
True teas (not herbal teas)
Flavanones
Citrus
Flavones
Grains, celery, parsley and other herbs
Flavonols
Grapefruit, oranges, apple skin, berries, onions, endive, radishes, tomatoes, leeks, broccoli, and red wine

Broccoli is known for its nutritional value, and I love tomatoes in any form Cherry tomatoes that taste delicious are available all year round, and during the winter plum tomatoes are good in salads and sliced onto sandwiches. Blueberries and grapes are also high on my list for satisfaction and health. If you like tea, but prefer coffee in the morning, why not switch to one cup of each to add more tea to your life? Perhaps you already know it is important to eat a serving of a citrus fruit every day. Add onions and garlic to increase these important bioflavonoids. Experiment with the wonderful types of lettuce available. I like romaine, and green and red leafy lettuce for salads. You get the idea.

Eating more of these brightly colored fruits and vegetables gives us an advantage in fighting the onset of heart disease, cancer and several other ailments. Given the prevalence of these diseases, we need all the help we can get.