Many of the most potent bioflavonoid compounds act as powerful anti-oxidants. Bioflavonoids are a group of naturally occurring compounds found in plants, often as pigments giving these plants their color. Over many decades and in many cultures, many herbs, fruits, extracts, and other food-based products have been identified as having beneficial effects on health. Many of these beneficial health effects can be traced to the bioflavonoid compounds they contain. This category of bioactive substances is huge, including more than 4,000 known compounds with characterized structures. Many systems of classification have been proposed for bioflavonoids; however, in order to avoid an encyclopedic listing of classes of compounds, this article will mention only some of the major compounds or classes of compounds that one is most likely to find in stores that sell dietary supplements.

Bioflavonoids are beneficial in a wide range of health-related uses because of their anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogenic and enzyme-altering activity. Some of the compounds (e.g. grape seed extract, pycnogenol, green tea extract) exert potent anti-oxidant activity in both water-soluble and lipid-soluble compartments of the body. These compounds often can act synergistically with vitamin C (water soluble) and vitamin E (lipid soluble), and extend and prolong the benefits of these vitamins.

The 10 major benefits of anti-oxidants

We have examined many of the health benefits of anti-oxidants in articles on anti-oxidant.com. They include:

1. Counteraction of the damaging oxidative action of low density lipoproteins (LDLs), the so-called bad cholesterol, thereby protecting the arteries from worsening effects of atherosclerosis
   
2. Protection of the endothelial cells of the arteries themselves from free radical damage, permitting them to be compliant and reactive rather than rigid and dysfunctional
   
3. Decrease in platelet aggregation (clumping), protecting the vascular system from clot formation that has potentially damaging effects such as heart attacks and strokes
   
4. Counteraction of the oxidation-promoting effects of stress hormones such as the catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine), often secreted in high amounts during chronic stress
   
5. Counteraction of free radical damage to many cells of the body that could potentially trigger undesired proliferation in the form of cancer
   
6. Protection from some of the damaging effects of aberrant metabolism that can contribute to the triggering of type II diabetes
   
7. Protection of important connective tissues of the body to help counteract many age-related forms of deterioration
   
8. Protection and enhancement of immune responses important in protective responses against viral infections and surveillance and protection from the formation or spread of many types of cancer
   
9. Counteraction of damaging effects of inflammatory responses in diverse systems of the body, including joints (arthritis), and brain (Alzheimer's disease)
   
10. Protection against degenerative processes in the brain that can lead to specific neuronal damage associated with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Sources of bioflavonoids

Many foods are excellent sources of bioflavonoid compounds and should be included in the diet. In fact, the recommendation of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is partly because of the health-promoting effects of these compounds. Excellent sources of bioflavonoids are citrus fruits, a wide range of berries, tomatoes, legumes, onions, parsley, green tea (not black tea), and grape-derived products such as grape juice and red wine (but not white wine). While it is quite possible to obtain an excellent intake of bioflavonoids with a well balanced diet rich in appropriate fruits, vegetables, green tea, and grape products, the typical American diet is lacking in consistent intake of these very important dietary components. Of course, the same individuals who have poor dietary habits are also not likely to take supplements to further enhance their intake of bioflavonoids.

Many supplements providing rich supplies of bioflavonoid compounds are available in health food stores, pharmacies and even enlightened grocery stores. These supplements are often named by common descriptors rather than for the chemicals they contain, especially in light of the complexity of the ingredients. For example, grape seed extract contains a rich array of polyphenolic compounds often found in linked form.

The major classes of bioflavonoids include:

1. Proanthocyanidins - (or PCO for short), which included both pycnogenol, derived from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, and grape seed extract, derived from grapes
   
2. Green tea extract - derived from the tea plant Camellia sinensis, prepared by preventing oxidation that could inactivate the bioflavonoids. While green tea extract also contains PCO, it also contains other bioflavonoids such as catechin, epicatechin, and gallate compounds
   
3. Quercetin - a bioflavonoid with potent anti-inflammatory action and protective action in diabetes
   
4. Citrus bioflavonoids - high in compounds called isoflavones, such as hesperidin and rutin, that are formed by the addition of sugars to quercetin
   
5. Soy bioflavonoids

Because each of these classes of bioflavonoids has its own unique set of compounds, each category also has its own unique benefits. This is a complex topic and is appropriately dealt with by considering each major category separately. In future articles we will describe these classes of bioflavonoids and discuss their health benefits.

 

Source:David Felten, MD, PhD, is founding Director of the Center for Neuroimmunology and Professor of Pathology and Human Anatomy and Professor of Neurology at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda California. He is an internationally known researcher whose contributions helped to establish the field of psychoneuroimmunology.