Flavonoids contribution to nutrition

I just read a great review article about flavonoids. Have you heard of these magical substances?

The article analyzed the scientific literature related to the effect of flavonoids on cardiovascular disease — and found the effect to be a positive one.

Let me provide some background.

Flavonoids are a subgroup of a class of compounds known as polyphenols and are present in fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Over 4,000 flavonoids have been identified in six major subgroups — flavonols, flavanones (the catechins), flavones, anthocyanins, and isoflavonoids. But scientists believe more than 25,000 exist.

The flavonoids in chocolate have received a lot of attention recently because of studies showing improved “endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilation” (whatever that is) in people who eat a lot of chocolate.

No one really knows why these flavonoids have their positive effect — but it seems to happen pretty consistently.

This specific article focused on the positive effect of grapes and grape-seeds, a food which has received a lot of attention due to the “French paradox”

See, the French have a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease even though they eat a high-fat diet and scientists have been trying to figure out why. One theory that’s been proposed is that this “paradox” is due to the French drinking a lot of wine (and, as a result, consuming more grapes).

So, scientists have done a lot of research on the effects of the flavonoids found in grapes. And, sure enough, they’ve discovered these substances do some pretty amazing things inside the human body.

But, here’s the key point. There are more than 25,000 types of flavonoids and scientists know very little about any of them other than they seem to have some positive health effects.

What does this mean to you?

* Don’t think a multivitamin is going to cover your nutritional needs. These pills contain only 20 to 30 substances so there’s a ways to go before any pill will be complete nutrient supplement.

* Eating a lot of certain food (red wine, chocolate) because some study has shown a positive effect is silly. First, it’s possible the substances in these foods cause problems if they are over-consumed. But, the bigger issue is that, by eating a lot of one food, it’s very possible you are missing out on flavonoids in other foods which have even more positive effects.

* The best strategy to gain the health-benefits of flavonoids is to eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

Allen Oelschlaeger
Author of Finally, the Straight Scoop About Weight, Nutrition, and Fitness