Flavonoids and their benefits

Author: Tamar Carseladze
Keywords: Flavonoids, Antioxidants, antiallergic, antimutagenic
Annotation:

Flavonoids and their benefits Flavonoids and other phenol compounds play an important role in the human diet. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants and are characterized by scavenging of wide range of reactive oxygen and nitrogen. Flavonoids are mainly found in fruits, vegetables, and beverages such as wine, tea, fruit juice, etc. Because of their ability to modify body’s reaction to other compounds such as allergens, viruses etc., flavonoids are called “Natural biological reaction modifiers”. This is evidenced by their anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-tumor and antimutagenic properties. Flavonoids can positively effect health, therefore they may be considered as a possible therapeutic agent for fight against cancer. At present prospect of using flavonoids in prevention of atherosclerosis and thrombosis is studied. There is an evidence that antiaterogenic effect of flavonoids can inhibit myeloperoxidase, which plays an important role in atherogenesis. Scientists have proved that flavonoids as a group have a very high antiviral activity, they have tendency to slow down viral activity and reproduction. According to the latest literature, flavonoids exhibit a wide range of brain neuroprotective action. They effectively protect neurons from damage caused by toxins, inhibit inflammatory processes in the brain and positively effect memory, learning and general cognitive functions.