WHAT ARE FLAVONOIDS?

Flavonoids are naturally occurring compounds in plants and fruits, which you can also find in tea, wine, and cocoa. They are beneficial to the plants, giving them color and protecting them, and humans also benefit their heart health, weight, and hormonal balance, as this article shows. CBD is one of the compounds that benefit from flavonoids.

 If you are a CBD fan, you have likely come across flavonoids, which refer to the natural compounds in plants and fruits and can also be obtained from tea, wine, and cocoa. CBD products in the full-spectrum formulations have terpenes and flavonoids, adding to their benefits. Consuming fruits and plants with flavonoids is one way to explore the benefits of flavonoids, but you can also opt for full-spectrum CBD. This article discusses flavonoids, their sources, and how they relate to CBD and CBD products.

What Are Flavonoids?

First thing, you must understand what flavonoids are before trying to consume them. They are naturally occurring compounds in fruits and vegetables, but some species of chocolates, cocoa, wine, and teas also have them. From berries to legumes and teas, there are thousands of ways to explore the health benefits of flavonoids. Flavonoids are also present in hemp and cannabis plants, hence why you can find flavonoids in CBD, one of the key hemp extracts.

Types of Flavonoids and Sources

Like terpene, also naturally occurring, flavonoids are diverse. Here are the types of flavonoids and their sources that you may want to try to feel the benefits of these compounds;

Flavanols

These are one group of flavonoids found in tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and kales, among other fruits and vegetables. According to Chahar et al. (2011), flavanols have powerful anticancer and anti-inflammatory benefits and are also good for heart health.

Flavan-3-ols

You can try blueberries, chocolates, and cocoa to enjoy flavan-3-ols which are nutrient-rich. Oolong, green, white, and black teas also boast high amounts of flavan-3-ols.

Flavones

Samanta et al. (2011) reported that flavonoids give plants protection from harmful pests, while according to Panche et al. (2016), they are also great for color. Flavones are flavonoids responsible for the white and purple colors of flowers.

Flavanones

Flavanones are mainly found in citrus fruits, including lime, lemon, orange, and grapefruits. According to Marranzamo et al. (2018), they help with weight management.

Isoflavones

These are yet another category of flavonoids, which, according to Mahmoud et al. (2021), balance hormones in the human body. You can find them in fava beans, soy, and soy products.

Anthocyanin

These are naturally occurring plant compounds that give plants red, blue, and purple pigments. They are abundant in wine, red berries, and purple grapefruits.

Flavonoids for Heart Health

Besides helping plants, flavonoids seem to have more far-reaching benefits and are great for the human body. Many studies reveal that flavonoids are necessary for heart health. For instance, according to Clark et al. (2015), flavonoids reduce blood pressure. Yet, in another study posted in the Journal of Medicine, Ponzo et al. (2015) reported that flavonoids help reduce the risks of cardiovascular events.

Flavonoids Protect Plants

When people think about flavonoids, they first think about the many colors, from red to white to blue and purple, that we notice in plants. Of course, Panche et al. (2016) and many other studies have proven that these compounds give plants colors. Still, they have more far-reaching benefits to the plants. For instance, according to Samanta et al. (2011), flavonoids offer plants protection from frost, drought, and other harsh environmental factors and also act as pesticides, protecting them against harmful insect attacks.

Flavonoids for Weight and Hormone Balance

Studies show that besides heart health, the human body benefits from flavonoids in weight management and hormonal balance. According to Mahmoud et al. (2021), flavonoids helped balance fertility hormones in rats, suggesting that they can do the same in humans. Still, more research is needed with human cells in the picture. Besides, Marranzano et al. (2018) reported that flavonoids help balance weight, but more research is needed before recommending the flavonoids for anything.

CBD and Flavonoids

Cannabis plants are among the plants with flavonoids. If you are a fan of CBD products, you likely have come across the term flavonoids when looking up which products to buy. According to VanDolah et al. (2019), hemp oil has a full entourage effect from its many compounds. CBD products also have this effect, especially those featuring the full-spectrum formulation. Mascal et al. (2019) defined CBD as the non-psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis plants, mostly hemp. CBD occurs in three forms: isolate, the purest form of CBD without additional cannabis compounds, and full- and broad-spectrum CBD with extra compounds, including flavonoids.

How to Enjoy Flavonoids

Are you in the mood to explore the health benefits of terpenes? Of course, yes; the section above shows how much terpenes can help you. The primary way to explore the benefits of flavonoids is to focus on plants and fruits rich in these compounds. Thankfully, flavonoids are more than abundant, and you can easily find them in different fruits, including berries. Besides, some beans, teas, and many veggies have flavonoids, and you can explore them for flavonoid benefits. Since CBD also has flavonoids, some users opt for CBD products in the full-spectrum formulation for these compounds. Here are the CBD products you can explore for flavonoid benefits;

1. CBD oils; take their drops orally or sublingually, but you can also add them to foods and drinks.
2. CBD edibles; like chocolates and gummies, allow you to enjoy the cannabinoid and flavonoids with taste and flavor.

• CBD topicals; like creams and patches, allow you to apply CBD on the skin and enjoy its benefits with interacting with blood.

1. CBD capsules are also great for masking the bitter taste of CBD oil although they may not be sweet.
2. CBD vapes are the fastest way to enjoy CBD since you inhale them.

Conclusion

Flavonoids are naturally occurring compounds in plant fruits and vegetables. You can also find them in wine, cocoa, cannabis, and many other plants. They give plants, fruits, and flowers their color, but have more far-reaching benefits. Studies show that they protect plants from harsh environmental factors and harmful insect attacks. Did you know that the human body also benefits from them? Studies show that they are good for heart health, weight management, and hormonal balance. You can eat fruits and vegetables with flavonoids to benefit from them, but full-spectrum CBD products also have flavonoids and make a good alternative.

References

Mascal, M., Hafezi, N., Wang, D., Hu, Y., Serra, G., Dallas, M. L., & Spencer, J. P. (2019). Synthetic, non-intoxicating 8, 9-dihydrocannabidiol for the mitigation of seizures. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-6.

Clark, J. L., Zahradka, P., & Taylor, C. G. (2015). Efficacy of flavonoids in the management of high blood pressure. Nutrition reviews, 73(12), 799–822.

Ponzo, V., Goitre, I., Fadda, M. et al. Dietary flavonoid intake and cardiovascular risk: a population-based cohort study. J Transl Med 13, 218 (2015).

Chahar, M. K., Sharma, N., Dobhal, M. P., & Joshi, Y. C. (2011). Flavonoids: A versatile source of anticancer drugs. Pharmacognosy reviews, 5(9), 1–12.

Panche, A. N., Diwan, A. D., & Chandra, S. R. (2016). Flavonoids: an overview. Journal of nutritional science, 5.

Samanta, A., Das, G., & Das, S. K. (2011). Roles of flavonoids in plants. Carbon, 100(6), 12- 35.

Mahmoud, T. Y., & Ramadhan, R. S. (2021). Effect of Anastatica Hierochuntica on Balancing Fertility Hormones of Albino Male Mice. Annals of the Romanian Society for Cell Biology, 3892-3902.

VanDolah, H. J., Bauer, B. A., & Mauck, K. F. (2019, September). Clinicians’ guide to cannabidiol and hemp oils. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 94, No. 9, pp. 1840-1851). Elsevier.