Flavonoids: The Vitamin "P" Our Body Needs

Flavonoids earlier designated as Vitamin P have been the recent area of interest for nutritionists and researchers alike. They are naturally derived products and belong to a class of plant’s secondary metabolites widely found in fruits, vegetables and certain beverages. It was in the late 1930s, that Albert Szent-Györgyi discovered an extract that decreased permeability of blood capillaries thus curing Scurvy. The substances in question, hence got the name Vitamin P. The flavonoids however later did not to fulfil the criteria of a vitamin, and hence the term Vitamin P is not true in the scientific sense.

Flavonoids have several subgroups each of which have different dietary sources. For example, onions and tea are major dietary sources of flavonols and flavones subgroups respectively (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
What You Need To Know About Flavonoids

Go to source).

Vitamin P: Benefits and Applications in Medical Science

Flavonoids exert their beneficial effects by modulating several cellular mechanism. Flavonoids exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombogenic, antidiabetic, anticancer, and neuroprotective activities through different mechanisms of actions as evidenced in several studies.

1. Cardiovascular health:

   Flavonoids improve vascular endothelial function, and are beneficial for metabolic and cardiovascular health in the long term

2. Diabetes Mellitus:

   They improve glycemic control in subjects at-risk or diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Flavonoids (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   What You Need To Know About Flavonoids
   
   Go to source) Improve insulin secretion (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Recent advances in understanding the anti-diabetic actions of dietary flavonoids
   
   Go to source) Increase insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by cells and protect cells against insulin resistance (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Recent advances in understanding the anti-diabetic actions of dietary flavonoids
   
   Go to source)

3. Protection against cancers:

   They have potential cancer preventive effects. It is postulated that the intake of flavonoids and their subgroups may be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women and prostate cancer in men

4. Neuro-protective effect:

   Inflammation and oxidative stress play a major role in the pathology of several neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Flavonoids have postulated beneficial effects on the brain, by protecting against cerebrovascular disorders and subsequent risk of stroke and dementias (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Emerging role of polyphenolic compounds in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases: a review of their intracellular targets
   
   Go to source)

5. Countering antibiotic resistance:

   Many flavonoids have evolved as bioactive compounds that show antimicrobial and pharmacological properties. They are therefore of interest in medicine as therapeutics
6. Many studies have suggested that flavonoids exhibit biological activities, including anti-allergenic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and vasodilating actions (4^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Flavonoids : Summary
   
   Go to source)

Flavonoids: Dietary Sources

The main dietary sources of flavonoids include:

1. Drinks: Tea, citrus fruit juices and red wine
2. Berries: Black currant, blueberry, red grape and mixed berry extracts that are rich in anthocyanins
3. Fruits: Flavanols are found abundantly in bananas, apples, peaches, pears, apples and grapes
4. Vegetables: Onions, kale, lettuce and tomatoes are rich sources of flavonoids
5. Celery, parsley, red peppers, chamomile and mint are among the major sources of flavones (5^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Flavonoids: an overview
   
   Go to source)

Currently, the intake of fruit, vegetables and beverages containing flavonoids is recommended, although it is too early to make recommendations on daily flavonoid intakes.

References:

1. What You Need To Know About Flavonoids - (https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-are-flavonoids/)
2. Recent advances in understanding the anti-diabetic actions of dietary flavonoids - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24029069/)
3. Emerging role of polyphenolic compounds in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases: a review of their intracellular targets - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16904103/)
4. Flavonoids : Summary - (https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/flavonoids)
5. Flavonoids: an overview - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5465813/)

Source-Medindia