Latest news with #flavonoids
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Diet containing foods with this key component can lead to longer life, study finds
A diet containing daily servings of tea, berries, apples, oranges or grapes may lower the risk of early death and promote longevity. A new study published in the journal Nature Food concludes that people who consume a diverse range of foods rich in flavonoid molecules may have a lower risk of developing chronic health conditions and a higher potential to live longer. Consuming flavonoid food sources in the form of tea, berries, dark chocolate, and apples can prevent the development of conditions like type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart and neurological diseases, scientists, including from Queen's University Belfast, say. 'We have known for some time that higher intakes of dietary flavonoids, powerful bioactives naturally present in many foods and drinks, can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes as well as neurological conditions like Parkinson's,' study co-author Aedín Cassidy explains. 'We also know from lab data and clinical studies that different flavonoids work in different ways, some improve blood pressure, others help with cholesterol levels and decrease inflammation.' Flavonoid molecules are found abundantly in blueberries, strawberries, oranges, apples, grapes, and even tea, red wine and dark chocolate. 'Flavonoid intakes of around 500mg a day were associated with a 16 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality as well as a 10 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory disease,' Benjamin Parmenter, another author of the study, says. 'That's roughly the amount of flavonoids that you would consume in two cups of tea.' The study, which involved tracking over 120,000 people aged 40 to 70 for over a decade, is the first of its kind to highlight a benefit to consuming a diverse range of flavonoids beyond simply consuming a high quantity. The findings indicate consuming a higher quantity and a wider diversity of flavonoid foods can lead to a greater reduction in ill health than just a single source. The research is in line with the popular belief that eating colourful foods is invaluable to maintaining good health. 'Eating fruits and vegetables in a variety of colours, including those rich in flavonoids, means that you are more likely to get the vitamins and nutrients you need to sustain a healthier lifestyle,' study author Tilman Kuhn says. 'The results provide a clear public health message,' says Dr Cassidy, 'suggesting that simple and achievable dietary swaps, like drinking more tea and eating more berries and apples, can help increase the variety and intake of flavonoid-rich foods, and potentially improve health in the long term.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Diet containing foods with this key component can lead to longer life, study finds
A diet containing daily servings of tea, berries, apples, oranges or grapes may lower the risk of early death and promote longevity. A new study published in the journal Nature Food concludes that people who consume a diverse range of foods rich in flavonoid molecules may have a lower risk of developing chronic health conditions and a higher potential to live longer. Consuming flavonoid food sources in the form of tea, berries, dark chocolate, and apples can prevent the development of conditions like type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart and neurological diseases, scientists, including from Queen's University Belfast, say. 'We have known for some time that higher intakes of dietary flavonoids, powerful bioactives naturally present in many foods and drinks, can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes as well as neurological conditions like Parkinson's,' study co-author Aedín Cassidy explains. 'We also know from lab data and clinical studies that different flavonoids work in different ways, some improve blood pressure, others help with cholesterol levels and decrease inflammation.' Flavonoid molecules are found abundantly in blueberries, strawberries, oranges, apples, grapes, and even tea, red wine and dark chocolate. 'Flavonoid intakes of around 500mg a day were associated with a 16 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality as well as a 10 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory disease,' Benjamin Parmenter, another author of the study, says. 'That's roughly the amount of flavonoids that you would consume in two cups of tea.' The study, which involved tracking over 120,000 people aged 40 to 70 for over a decade, is the first of its kind to highlight a benefit to consuming a diverse range of flavonoids beyond simply consuming a high quantity. The findings indicate consuming a higher quantity and a wider diversity of flavonoid foods can lead to a greater reduction in ill health than just a single source. The research is in line with the popular belief that eating colourful foods is invaluable to maintaining good health. 'Eating fruits and vegetables in a variety of colours, including those rich in flavonoids, means that you are more likely to get the vitamins and nutrients you need to sustain a healthier lifestyle,' study author Tilman Kuhn says. 'The results provide a clear public health message,' says Dr Cassidy, 'suggesting that simple and achievable dietary swaps, like drinking more tea and eating more berries and apples, can help increase the variety and intake of flavonoid-rich foods, and potentially improve health in the long term.'
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Your ‘five-a-day' now includes chocolate... and wine
For those people who find cramming in five portions of fruit and veg a day about as appealing as limp lettuce, scientists have good news: now you can count red wine and dark chocolate. A new five-a-day diet including tea, apples, oranges and berries – all foods rich in chemicals called flavonoids - will help people to live longer, a study has found. Flavonoids have a range of benefits, including lowering high blood pressure and dampening inflammation. Scientists have long known them to be good for health, but the new study is the first to investigate the benefits of a diversity of different flavonoids, not just the quantity. There are five main groups of flavonoids covering dozens of unique chemicals, but one main tranche is anthocyanins, found in abundance in grapes and red wine. Tea is rich in flavan-3-ols, another flavonoid, while orange juice is full of flavonones, and kale has high levels of flavones. Some foods, such as apples and tea, contain several flavonoids of different categories, while some only contain one. Scientists looked at the benefits of a diversity of these chemicals in a person's diet by assessing almost 125,000 Britons enrolled in the UK Biobank. Specific food and drink intake was compared to health outcomes over a decade of follow-up by scientists at Queen's University Belfast. Participants who consumed at least 1,000 milligrams of flavonoids a day were a fifth less likely to die during the study period, data showed, confirming that flavonoid quantity was linked to better health. Further analysis on the impact of flavonoid diversity found people in the lowest 20 per cent of the study consumed on average just one food product which was rich in flavonoids a day. Those in the top 20 per cent who ate five portions of flavonoid-rich foods a day were found to have a 16 per cent lower risk of death during the study period. Prof Aedín Cassidy, study author and chair in nutrition and preventive medicine at Queen's University Belfast, told The Telegraph: 'A flavonoid 'five-a-day' has the potential to reduce mortality. 'The data suggest that there is a benefit to consuming a wide range of flavonoids beyond that of simply consuming a high quantity as different flavonoids work in different ways, some improve blood pressure, others help with cholesterol levels and decrease inflammation. 'So having a variety of flavonoid-rich foods is important – eg one apple, a handful of berries, two cups of tea, and one orange. Other rich sources are onions, red wine, grapes, plums, and red cabbage.' People who hit their flavonoid five-a-day were also found to be 10 per cent less at risk of cardiovascular disease, when accounting for factors such as sex, education, BMI, profession, income, alcohol and smoking habits, prior medical history and other aspects of diet. The cancer risk was also 20 per cent lower for five-a-dayers compared to those who ate just one of their five-a-day, the study found. Risk of respiratory conditions was eight per cent lower, data showed, and there was no link for neurodegenerative conditions. 'Our findings highlight the importance of consuming a diverse range of flavonoids for the management of chronic disease risk, which, from a public health perspective, provides support for consuming a variety of flavonoid-rich foods such as green and/or black tea, berries, apples, oranges and grapes,' said the study authors in their paper. 'The collective actions of multiple flavonoids appear to lead to greater health protection compared with single subclasses or compounds. 'We found that consuming both a higher quantity and wider diversity of dietary flavonoids appears better for longer-term health than higher intakes of either component alone.'
Globe and Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Globe and Mail
Eat a ‘flavodiet' to stay physically and mentally strong when older, new study suggests
A diet focused on whole plant foods is a critical determinant of healthy aging. Among the countless bioactive compounds in plants, flavonoids have received considerable attention in recent years for their influence on health. Research suggests, for example, that a high intake of these protective phytochemicals can guard against cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, cognitive decline and dementia. Now, new study findings add to mounting evidence for flavonoids' healthy-aging benefits. The findings suggest that a high flavonoid diet – and a regular intake of specific flavonoid-rich foods – can lower the risks of developing frailty, impaired physical function and poor mental health in our 70s and beyond. What are flavonoids? Flavonoids are a large family of more than 5,000 phytochemicals in fruits, vegetables and other plant foods. Dietary flavonoids are categorized into six subclasses, each one residing in certain foods and having specific health properties. The subclasses are anthocyanins (berries, red grapes, plums, red cabbage), flavan-3-ols (green and black tea, cocoa), flavonols (onions, kale, arugula, watercress), flavanones (citrus fruit), flavones (parsley, thyme, celery) and isoflavones (soybeans, lentils, chickpeas). About the latest research The study, published last month in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, investigated the relationship between intake of flavonoids and flavonoid-rich foods and frailty, impaired physical function and poor mental health, indicators of unhealthy aging. The research team analyzed data from two U.S. studies: the Nurses' Health Study (females) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (males). A total of 62,743 women and 23,687 men, ages 60 and older, were followed for 24 and 12 years, respectively. Information on age, body measurements, lifestyle behaviours, medication use, family medical history and recent personal health diagnoses was collected every two years. Participants provided detailed dietary information at baseline and every four years thereafter. A 'flavodiet' score was calculated for each participant by adding up intakes (servings/day) of key food contributors to total flavonoid intake. Key flavonoid-rich foods included blueberries, strawberries, grapes, raisins, apples, oranges, orange juice, grapefruit, grapefruit juice, tea, red wine, onion and sweet bell peppers. Frailty, measured every four years, was defined as having at least three of five criteria: fatigue, poor strength, reduced aerobic capacity, at least five chronic illnesses and a weight loss of five per cent or more. Participants reported perceived physical limitations in basic mobility, daily living tasks and performing various moderate and vigorous activities. They were also asked about symptoms of depression, anxiety and overall well-being. High flavodiet scores protective Among participants in the Nurses' Health Study, those with the highest flavodiet scores had a 15 per cent lower risk of developing frailty, a 12 per cent lower risk of developing impaired physical function and a 12 per cent lower risk of developing poor mental health during the study period compared to women with the lowest flavodiet scores. The highest intakes of tea, red wine, apples, blueberries, strawberries, oranges and orange juice – and increased intakes of these foods over the study period – were associated with a lower risk of all three outcomes in women. Surprisingly, fewer protective effects were seen in men. Participants in Health Professionals Follow-up Study with the highest (versus lowest) flavodiet scores were 18 per cent less likely to have poor mental health scores. Higher intakes of tea and blueberries were tied to a lower risk of poor mental health. Intakes of key flavonoid-rich foods were not associated with risk of frailty or impaired physical function. It's unclear if there are differences in diet-related risks factors for health in aging between males and females. The findings in men may also have been influenced by the shorter follow-up of 12 years, resulting in fewer outcomes being reported. The researchers also found that a daily increase of three servings of flavonoid-rich foods and beverages during the study translated to a 6 to 11 per cent lower risk across all three outcomes in females and a 15 per cent lower risk of poor mental health in males. To arrive at their findings, the researchers accounted for other influential factors including age, smoking status, family health history, personal health, physical activity, body mass index and calorie intake. How flavonoids safeguard healthy aging The new findings are in keeping with previous studies linking high intakes of flavonoids or flavonoid-rich foods to a lower risk of frailty, impaired physical function and depression. Flavonoids' strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects are thought to protect cells from damage caused by oxidative stress and inflammation, factors that accumulate during aging. Elevated levels of inflammation can lead to loss of muscle mass and strength. Inflammatory immune compounds can also communicate with the brain, affecting mood and energy levels. Takeaway The findings suggest a modest, yet doable, dietary adjustment – increasing your daily intake of flavonoid-rich foods by three servings – can optimize healthy aging and quality of life. One serving is equivalent to one half-cup of blueberries, strawberries or grapes, one ounce of raisins, one whole orange or apple, one half of a grapefruit, five ounces of citrus fruit juice, eight ounces of tea, one slice of raw onion or one half-cup cooked or one-quarter of a small bell pepper. Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based private practice dietitian, is director of food and nutrition at Medcan. Follow her on X @LeslieBeckRD
The Sun
20-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Daily drinks which help keep you younger AND protect you from silent killers revealed
A CUP of tea or a glass of red wine a day helps keep us younger, a study suggests. The flavonoids found in the drinks mean we 'age better', researchers found. 2 The findings show that women with the highest flavonoid intakes had a 15 per cent lower risk of frailty, a 12 per cent reduced risk of impaired physical function and a 12 per cent lower risk of poor mental health compared to those with the lowest intakes. Fewer benefits were observed in men but higher flavonoid intake was still linked to a lower risk of poor mental health. Scientists already knew that flavonoids — also found in berries, citrus fruits and apples — helped stave off conditions such as dementia, diabetes and heart disease. The joint study by universities in Belfast, Australia and the US analysed data from 62,743 women and 23,687 men over a 24-year period. It also drew on data from studies on health service staff including NHS nurses, covering 121,701 women and 51,529 men. Edith Cowan University's Dr Nicola Bondonno said: "The goal of medical research is not just to help people live longer but to ensure they stay healthy for as long as possible. "We know from previous research that people who have a higher flavonoid intake tend to live longer and they are also less likely to get any of the major chronic diseases such as dementia, diabetes or heart disease. "Our research shows that people who consume more flavonoids tend to age better." Study author Professor Aedin Cassidy added: "Flavonoids are well known for reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, supporting blood vessel health and even helping to maintain skeletal muscle mass. "All of which are important for preventing frailty and maintaining physical function and mental health as we age." 2
