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Bioflavonoids

Bioflavonoids (also called flavonoids) are a group of naturally occurring compounds and are widely distributed among plants, including most all citrus fruits, rose hips and black currants. Such compounds are generally isolated from the rinds of oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, kumquats and grapefruits by commercial extraction methods. Flavonoids or bioflavonoids are widely distributed in plants fulfilling many functions including producing yellow or red/blue pigmentation in flowers and protection from attack by microbes and insects. Bioflavonoids have been referred to as "nature's biological response modifiers" because of strong experimental evidence of their ability to modify the body's reaction to allergens, viruses, and carcinogens. They show anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-cancer activity. In addition, flavonoids act as powerful antioxidants, protecting against oxidative and free radical damage. Bioflavonoids provide protection from damaging free radicals and are believed to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease, decrease allergy and arthritis symptoms, promote vitamin C activity, improve the strength of blood vessels, block the progression of cataracts and macular degeneration, treat menopausal hot flashes, and other ailments. When free radicals attack biological cells and tissues they can be incredibly destructive. They damage our cells, which can mean premature aging, reduced immune function, inflammation and ultimately degenerative disease. Antioxidants are a second class of nutraceuticals. These antioxidants include the natural, sulfur-containing amino acid allicin, which acts to increase the level of antioxidant enzymes in the blood. Herbs or herbal extracts, such as garlic, which contain allicin are also effective antioxidants. Among our primary defenses are the antioxidant nutrients, of which the most well known are vitamins C and E. The biological activity of antioxidants is enormously important to our health. Antioxidants have been known to neutralize free radical damage, rendering them all but harmless. Aging and deterioration in human cells is caused by the chemical process of oxidation. The bioflavonoids, such as quercetin, hesperidin, rutin, and mixtures thereof, are also effective as antioxidants. The primary beneficial role of the bioflavonoids may be in protecting vitamin C from oxidation in the body. This makes more vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, available for use by the body. Ascorbic acid, which is itself an important antioxidant nutraceutical, functions as a free radical scavenger that helps reduce oxidative stress and/or cell damage caused by free radicals. Flavonoids occur in most fruits and vegetables. It is believed that flavonoids act by inhibiting hormones, such as estrogen, that may trigger hormone-dependent malignancies like cancers of the breast, endometrium, ovary, and prostate. Citrus bioflavonoids include isoquercetin, quercetin, hesperidin, rutin, naringen, naringenin, and limonene. Isoquercetin is a common flavonoid found in onions, apples, Arnica species, Gossypium arboreum, Ginko biloba, Ricinus communis, Ocimum basilicum, Salix acutifolia, and Narcissus pseudonarcissus. Limonene, a flavonoid available in citrus fruits, promotes the production of enzymes that help destroy possible carcinogens. Quercetin, another flavonoid found in citrus fruits, can block the spread of cancer cells in the stomach. Flavonoids also stabilize mast cells, a type of immune cell that releases inflammatory compounds, like histamine, when facing foreign microorganisms.

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