IAFNS Fall 2022 Webinar Series: “Learning About Flavonoids, Diet and Health”
Lecture Type: Online Video
Time: 94 minutes 54 seconds
Date: December 1, 2022
Speakers: Naomi K. Fukagawa, M.D., Ph.D., Rhonda Sebastian, M.A., Gloria Solano-Aguilar, Ph.D., Janet Novotny, Ph.D., Kyle McKillop
Topic: Flavonoids
You can access the lecture by clicking the link here.
Visit the IAFNS home page here.
Introduction
Flavonoids are bioactive plant compounds that have been shown to have multiple beneficial health effects. This includes combating oxidative stress related to aging, inhibited glucose absorption, and improving endothelial function. In general, flavonoid intake is associated with higher quality diets that are higher in fruit, vegetable, bean, and whole grain intake and lower in added sugars, refined grains, sodium, and saturated fats.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), researchers are developing dietary guidelines for flavonoid intake. According to one study on the effect of one flavonoid (flavan-3-ol) on cardiometabolic health conducted by researchers at the Institute for Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (October 2022) at the IAFNS, Americans aged 20 years old and older have a mean intake of 170mg/day of flavan-3-ol in their diet. This is well below the recommended 400-600mg/day to achieve improved cardiometabolic health. With continued research, recommendations for the over 5,000 known flavonoid compounds may soon be developed.
Related to a lack of flavonoid intake is the fact that between 80 and 90% of Americans do not satisfy the recommended daily fruit and vegetable intake. Since plant foods are the source of flavonoids, Americans, therefore, have room to improve their nutritional status. Similarly, a shift to eating more fruits and vegetables has been suggested to address the current obesity epidemic in the United States.
Flavonoid Types and Sources:
Flavonoids are divided into 6 major classes; however, the bulk of this webinar was focused on one particular group called anthocyanins. Rich sources of anthocyanins include berries (blueberries, cranberries, strawberries), grapes, and more, as well as foods containing these (like smoothies, juices, and wine).
6 Types of Flavonoids:
- Anthocyanins
- Flavan-3-ols
- Flanolos
- Flavanones
- Flavones
- Isoflavones
Research on Flavonoids
Flavonoids are a hot topic in research. Studies continue to explore the potential health benefits of these compounds and how this information can inform dietary recommendations for Americans. Two research groups at the USDA have focused their studies on gut health and the prevention of obesity.
Gut Health: Studies conducted by Dr. Solana-Aguilar and colleagues on gut health found that the flavonoids in fruit and vegetable-rich diets may have protective functions in the gut. In pig models that had induced colitis (a condition characterized by inflammation of the gut and breakdown of intestinal epithelium), pigs fed diets higher in flavonoids showed decreased inflammatory markers. Epithelial slides also showed decreased cryptic changes (damage to the gut) and improved microbiome changes.
Obesity: In studies conducted by Dr. and colleagues, flavonoids were shown to impact obesity levels in mice models. This suggests that nutrient composition beyond simple calorie reduction may help to address the obesity epidemic in the United States. Her research also showed that foods with more bioavailable anthocyanin flavonoids improved this effect. Due to this effect, whole fruits were shown to have a lesser effect than fruit juices. However, due to other issues related to blood sugar regulation related to fiber intake and other nutrients consumed in whole fruits, it is not recommended to choose juices over whole fruits and vegetables.
Resources
If you are interested in doing research related to flavonoids, the USDA has created a public access database for foods eaten in the United States. This database includes measurements taken from all 6 classes of flavonoids – 29 total individual flavonoid types measured – for 7,083 foods. You can access the database at the link below:
Citation
Fukagawa, N., Sebastian, R., Solano-Aguilar, G., Novotny, J. (2022, November 15). Learning About Flavonoids, Diet, and Health. [Lecture Recording]. IAFNS-USDA Beltsville Webinar Series. https://iafns.org/event/iafns-usda-beltsville-webinar-series/
Disclaimer
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