Flavonoids: Antioxidants Help the Mind

Pomegranates- The pomegranate carries with it the mystique of ancient myth, but we moderns are beginning to realize that its health benefits are very real: pomegranate juice may have almost three times the antioxidant potency of an equal volume of green tea or red wine.

Chamomile Tea- Delicious, relaxing chamomile tea is home to the flavonoid called apigenin, one of a handful of flavonoids recently found to have mood-enhancing properties. Currently the focus of intense study, they are thought to act on the same parts of the brain as common anti-anxiety drugs. In fact, certain synthetic flavonoids have been shown to have anxiolytic properties superior to diazepam. Research is in its infancy, however. For now, take your apigenin with sugar and lemon.

While many health benefits of flavonoids are not in dispute, there are a couple caveats to consider before sitting down to fill your face with flavonoids.

First, scientists are only now beginning to understand the effects of flavonoids in the body. As natural but real chemicals, flavonoids can interact with prescription drugs in a harmful way. The flavonoid naringenin found in grapefruit, for example, can interfere with the breakdown of certain drugs, magnifying their potency. It's best not to take any drugs with grapefruit juice unless the drug interaction profile of the medication is well known.

Second, taking flavonoid supplements is not the way to go. UC Davis' Dr. Mitchell cautions people not to think they can just take a supplement instead of consuming more fruits and vegetables. Whole foods supply the added benefits of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Furthermore, the dosage furnished by supplements can vary widely but is likely to be much higher than what you'd receive from a healthy, balanced diet. Reseachers have yet to determine exactly what levels of flavonoids are optimally beneficial, or even whether flavonoids become harmful at very high doses. As with all supplements, flavonoid supplements are not stringently regulated by the FDA.

"Much about flavonoids still remains to be discovered," observes Dr. Mitchell, "and it's important not to view them as the latest fad cure-all." Her advice echoes what your mother once told you: The most positive thing you can do for your health is to eat more fruits and vegetables.

If you're curious to learn about more whole food sources of flavonoids, the USDA has an online database of 225 foods and their flavonoid content. You can find it at www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/Flav/flav.html.

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