Flavonoids, a type of antioxidant phytochemicals that are found in all plants, are particularly prevalent in deeply coloured fruits and vegetables, along with coffee, nuts, and seeds. Read on to learn more about it.
What are Flavonoids?
Flavonoids are present in green tea, soybeans, red wine, and thyme, among other foods. Over 4000 compounds, or “phytochemicals,” produced from plants are grouped together as flavonoids. They have comparable molecular structures. and one class of “polyphenol” is flavonoids. It is a collection of chemicals that serve a number of functions in plants, such as promoting reproduction, thwarting infection, and guarding against UV (ultraviolet) radiation damage from the sun.
What are its benefits?
Flavonoids are commonly used topically through the use of cosmeceutical botanical extracts from flavonoid-rich plants. Flavonoids have been proven to provide several benefits to our skin.
Green tea polyphenols found in beverages have been proven to shield skin from damaging UV rays. Certain flavonoids act in plants to safely absorb UV light, especially UV-B radiation, sparing the surrounding cells from UV damage and lowering the levels of harmful “reactive oxygen species” molecules.
Green tea purified polyphenol extract has also been demonstrated to suppress UV-induced inflammation, protect against DNA damage, and lessen the production of reactive oxygen species when administered topically to human skin. Flavonoids may lessen UV-induced skin damage such as ageing, cancer, and sunburn and enhance overall skin health.
In a study on female participants, the consumption of high-flavanol cocoa powder, rich in epicatechin and catechin, dramatically improved photoprotection and skin structure. It enhanced skin structure, boosted microcirculation, decreased TEWL, and decreased UV-induced erythema development.
