Most people today would not buy snake oil as a cure of anything. It is a part of the human experience to know that the buyer has to be careful about what the seller claims about his product. We live in an age of massive advertising about all sorts of products and that is very true about the food industry.
Many people are skeptical about what is recommended for their diet particularly if the recommendations state they should not be eating or drinking something they like. Research about the long term effects of diet on human healthy survival is no more than 200 years old. Of course it was noticed that there were long term effects of what is consumed and health outcomes in ancient times.
Victor Lindlahr, an American nutritionist, coined the expression “you are what you eat”. Research on nutrition is basically two different approaches. Understanding the basic science of metabolism, its biochemistry and interactions with the living organism and population studies that document dietary habits and long term health outcomes. These studies helped define the relationship of fatty foods and cardiovascular disease.
One of the compounds that studies have found to have a variety of health benefits are flavonoids. Flavonoids are found in plants and are also in plants based beverages such as tea and wine. Researchers have found that a diet rich in flavonoids can reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some types of cancer.
Plants use these compounds for their own growth. They help plants attract pollinators and fight infections. They also give some fruits and vegetables their deep, rich colors. The main types of flavonoids are: flavonols found in tomatoes, kale, apples, berries, tea and wine; isoflavome found mostly in legume sand soy beans (they are phytoestrogens); flavanones found in citrus fruit which help in inflammation, antioxidants, lower cholesterol and fat levels in the blood; flavanols found in black tea, oolong tea and chocolate plus bananas, blueberries, peaches, red grapes, raspberries, blueberries and chalcones which are felt to have antioxidant properties found in tomatoes, pears strawberries.
The above types of are felt to have antioxidant effects which helps neutralize free radicals and reduce risk for type-2 diabetes because they improve the body’s use of glucose and digest carbohydrates. A study of 200,000 people showed that those who consumed lots of flavonoids had a lower risk of diabetes. Studies also show that flavonoids found in cocoa could improve brain function, memory and blood flow. There has also been studies that show a diet rich in flavonoids reduced risk of certain types of cancer and reduced chronic pain.
Flavonoids can be bought in supplements but most researchers feel that it is best to get these nutrients from food. Each meal should contain at least 1 fruit or vegetable. Recommended fruit is 1 cup/day, between ages 1 and 3, to 2 cups for a 14–18-year-old. Recommended vegetable intake is ¾ cup a day at age one to 3 cups for a 14–18-year-old.
By Sally Robinson, MD
Keeping Kids Healthy
University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)
Published October 2023