Plant Power: Bioflavonoids

Chances are you've never heard of ‘bioflavonoids'. Despite their low profile, some folks believe them to be among nature's most potent antioxidants.

While bioflavonoids are sometimes known as vitamin P, they aren't in fact vitamins, or minerals for that matter. They're phytochemicals, or plant chemicals, which is probably where the ‘P' comes into it.

Do we need them?

Well, not in the sense we need oxygen and water. They're often called ‘functional foods', having a value to us beyond the strictly nutritional. So, no, we don't need them, but many would argue we'd be better off if we had more of them.

Since up to 80 per cent of the most common cancers are diet related, and since bioflavonoids and other phytochemicals are touted as having potent antioxidant effects, the National Cancer Institute in America is providing plenty of research.

Where do you get them?

Bioflavonoid compounds include anthocyanins, catechins, flavanones, flavones and flavonols. Catechins are the highly concentrated antioxidants found in green tea that are responsible for its widely publicised anti-cancer effects, while soy products and red clover are full of flavones, which have been targeted in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. The main dietary source of bioflavonoids is the white segment, or ring, of (especially citrus) fruit and vegetables.

What they (might) do

At the very least, it seems likely bioflavonoids promote the body's absorption of vitamin C, which itself has well known antioxidant effects. Apart from the anti-ageing properties central to all antioxidants, there are research results suggesting that bioflavonoids in tea may help to reduce the risk of heart disease, possibly by dilating the coronary arteries and preventing the deterioration of artery walls in atherosclerosis. Then there's the anti-cancer activities mentioned above and elsewhere.

Because of the newness of the work into phytochemicals, there are very few hard and fast answers about their effectiveness in improving health and delaying the symptoms of ageing. But since adverse effects are rare, the addition of soy products, green tea and citrus pith to your diet would seem like a good thing.

That said, like most foods, soy products are best consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Recent research suggests women with breast cancer should avoid taking soy supplements.

Mannatech's glyconutrient and phytonutrient supplements are especially formulated for children in their growth years - and they supply the nutrients missing from life in the fast-food lane.