The six major subclasses of flavonoids include:
Anthocyanidins (e.g., cyanidin, pelargonidin)
Catechins or flavanols (e.g., epicatechin, gallocatechin)
Flavones (e.g., apigenin, luteolin and
chrysin)
Flavonols (e.g., kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin)
Flavanones (e.g., hesperidin, naringenin)
Isoflavones (e.g.,
Genistein, daidzein).
Chrysin
Club Natural
Chrysin (5,7-Dihydroxyflavone) is a flavonoid found in the plant Passiflora coerula, a member of the passion flower family.
Chrysin Flavonoid Supplement Facts:
Chrysin - 500 mg *
(5, 7- Dihydroxyflavone)
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Epidemiological evidence suggests an inverse relationship between dietary
intake of flavonoids and cardiovascular risk. The biological activities of flavonoids are
partly related to their antioxidative effects and their vasodilating benefits.
Accumulated evidence from experimental and
epidemiological studies indicates that there is a low risk of degenerative diseases,
cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cataract, stroke and, in particular, cancers in
people with a high intake of fruit and vegetables. This protective effect is assumed to be
associated mainly with the antioxidant activities of either individual or interacting
bioactive components present in the fruits and vegetables, and with other biochemical and
physical characteristics of the identified and unknown bioactive components. The
implicated bioactive components present in citrus fruits include vitamin C, beta-carotene, flavonoids, limonoids, folic acid, and dietary
fiber. A high intake of citrus fruits may
reduce the risk of degenerative diseases.
Potential uses of flavonoids
Anti-inflammatory
Most flavonoids have anti-inflammatory properties.
Immune system
Most flavonoids have anti-germ activity.
Anti-tumor
Most flavonoids have anti-cancer properties.
Anti-oxidant
Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants. Extracts from onion
and various flavonoids induce the cellular antioxidant system. Onion extract and quercetin
were able to increase the intracellular concentration of glutathione by approximately 50%.
Vasodilation and nitric oxide production
Diets rich in either red wine, quercetin or catechin induce endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in rat aorta in a
resting state through the enhancement of (*)NO production, without modifying O(2)(.-)
generation, thus the bioavailability of (*)NO was increased. The increase in the
NO-cyclic GMP pathway explains the beneficial effect of flavonoids at vascular level.
Flavonoids,
heart disease, and stroke
Foods rich in flavonoids -- from apples and pears to dark chocolate and
red wine -- may help shield postmenopausal women from coronary heart
disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke, a new study shows. Flavonoids
have been hypothesized to protect the heart by reducing levels of
low-density lipoprotein or "bad" cholesterol and reducing inflammation.
Dr. Pamela J. Mink of Exponent, Inc., used three newly available databases
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine the flavonoid contain
of foods, the researchers analyzed results of food questionnaires on diet
from 34,489 postmenopausal women participating in the Iowa Women's Health
Study. Dr. Pamela J. Mink and colleagues specifically examined the
association between the amount of flavonoids the diet and heart disease
and death over a 16-year period. The new information allowed the
researchers to look at both total flavonoids and seven different
subclasses of the plant compound. Three subclasses of flavonoids,
anthocyanidins, flavanones, and flavones, were linked to a significantly
reduced risk of heart disease, blood vessel disease or cardiovascular
disease mortality. Specific foods also were linked to risk reductions in
heart, blood vessel disease and mortality as well, including bran, apples,
pears, red wine, grapefruit, strawberries and chocolate. American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition, March 2007.
Flavonoids for healthy brain in old age
If your diet has plenty of flavonoids, you are likely helping maintain a
healthy brain in old age and lowering your risk for heart disease. Flavonoids
are potent antioxidants found
in plant-based foods from red wine to tea to vegetables. Dr. Luc Letenneur of INSERM
in Bordeaux, France, followed a group of
1,640 older, dementia-free individuals for 10 years, recording information
on their diet at the beginning of the study.
The men and women who took in the most flavonoids showed significantly
better mental performance at the beginning of the study, even after the
researchers adjusted the data for the influence of sex, level of
education, and age.
And those who ranked in the top half for flavonoid consumption showed more
favorable progress in their cognitive function over time; for example,
after 10 years, men and women in the lowest fourth for flavonoid
consumption had lost 2.1 points on a test of cognitive function known as
the Mini-Mental State Examination, compared to a 1.2-point loss for the
people in the highest fourth for flavonoid intake.