Health and diet specialists always recommend a balanced diet, this means incorporating as many different colored foods as possible in our meals.
Most people think that this is just a trick of the culinary industry so that we buy more and more products and spend more money in the supermarket, but the reality is that it is not a ruse, but actually having a diet with all the colors of the rainbow is very beneficial for your health. This is because plant-based foods contain components called flavonoids that are quite beneficial for your health.
What are flavonoids?
These components act as antioxidants, which greatly help prevent different diseases, including those related to the heart and cancer.
An article published in Nature recommends consuming foods rich in flavonoids to reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems and cancer, especially in those individuals who have bad habits such as smoking or drinking a lot of alcohol (Bondonno et al., 2019). Furthermore, according to the Journal of Nutritional Science , flavonoids are categorized into 6 subgroups : chalcones, flavones, flavonols, flavanones, anthocyanins and isoflavones (Panche, Diwan and Chandra, 2016)
1. Flavanols
Flavanols are the best known subgroup of flavonoids , especially quercetin .
Much research has echoed this, but one in Pharmacognosy Review stands out, as it states that flavanols help our body to protect itself against damage caused by neurodegenerative diseases. such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s (David, Arulmoli and Parasuraman, 2016)
Some foods with flavanols are:
- Tomato
- Onion
- Apple
- Broccoli
- Grapes
- Red wine
- Green Tea
2. Flavones
According to a study published in Plants , one of the greatest benefits of consuming flavones is related to its anti-inflammatory effects. (Jiang, Doseff and Grotewold, 2016). In addition, inflammation is a fairly common condition as it is associated with other diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and others.
These are foods rich in flavones :
- Celery
- Broccoli
- Carrot
- Olive oil
- Oregano
- Green pepper
- Thyme
- Pepper
- Rosemary
3. Isoflavones
If your diet consists of a large part of soy, you will be happy to know that this food, in addition to being rich in protein, is also rich in isoflavones. However, its reputation is a bit controversial because its components are very similar to those of estrogens.
However, isoflavones help your system by blocking estrogens, which can cause breast, cervical and prostate cancer, according to a study published in Nutrients (Yu, Bi, Yu and Chen, 2016)
Products rich in isoflavones are the following:
- Soybean plant
- Alfalfa sprout
- Peanuts
- Various legumes
4. Flavanones
Flavanones not only work excellently as antioxidants, but also as anti-inflammatories. These components are responsible for providing the sweet and sour taste to fruits , although many people may not like them.
However, the most common of the flavanons is hesperidin , usually found in lemons and oranges. In fact, it is currently under study for its potential to protect our body from neurodegenerative diseases.
Foods rich in flavanones are orange, lime, lemon, and grapes.
5. Chalconas
Like almost all the previous ones, chalcones are known for their potential to stop the development of terminal diseases such as cancer.
The foods rich in chalcones are the following:
- Wheat-based products
- Vegetables like potato and tomato
- Fruits like pear and strawberries
6. Anthocyanins
You can recognize a food with anthocyanins easily, since they are in most cases the plants with reddish, yellowish towards purplish and violet colors. These types of vegetables are associated with good heart and brain health, improved eyesight, and anti-obesity and anti-diabetes properties.
The foods with the highest amount of anthocyanins are the following:
- Berries
- Grapes
- Red wine
- Sweet potatoes
- Cherries
How to incorporate flavonoids into your diet?
To achieve the inclusion of all these nutrients in your daily life, you must commit to consuming at least 3 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruits daily. For best results, we recommend varying the types of both throughout the week and choosing a multitude of colors and sizes for a better abundance.
A good tip is to make vegetables the center of attention in your culinary dishes and make meat and other foods more secondary.
However, some of these foods may have contraindications with your medication. Therefore, if you are undergoing treatment or something similar, consulting with your doctor would be the best option to avoid serious consequences.
References
- Bondonno, NP, Dalgaard, F., Kyrø, C., Murray, K., Bondonno, CP, Lewis, JR… Hodgson, JM (2019). Flavonoid intake is associated with lower mortality in the Danish Diet Cancer and Health Cohort. Nature . doi: 10.1038 / s41467-019-11622-x
- David, AVA, Arulmoli, R. and Parasuraman, S. (2016). Overviews of Biological Importance of Quercetin: A Bioactive Flavonoid. Pharmacognosy Review. doi: 10.4103 / 0973-7847.194044
- Jiang, N., Doseff, AI and Grotewold, E. (2016). Flavones: From Biosynthesis to Health Benefits. Plants . doi: 10.3390 / plants5020027
- Panche, AN, Diwan, AD and Chandra, SR (2016). Flavonoids: an overview. Journal of Nutritional Science. doi: 10.1017 / jns.2016.41
- Yu, J., Bi, X., Yu, B. and Chen, D. (2016). Isoflavones: Anti-Inflammatory Benefit and Possible Caveats. Nutrients . doi: 10.3390 / nu8060361
