Flavonoids for a healthy heart

The April 2004 issue of Journal of Nutrition reports a recently completed clinical study of French women that found that women with the most flavonoid-rich diets were at the lowest risk for cardiovascular disease as measured by blood pressure, weight, serum cholesterol count, and fasting plasma glucose level.

Flavonoids are a diverse group of compounds found in foods such as soy (genistein), onions (quercetin), red wine (proanthocyanidins), citrus fruits (citrus bioflavonoids), and green tea (polyphenols), among many others. Flavonoids are now being studied for their antioxidant qualities in the nutritional battle against cancer, heart disease, age-related vision disorders, and more.