What did dear old Mom used to say? Eat your vegetables! And now as an adult you hear the same thing from your doctor and medical providers to support your efforts to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. But what exactly is soooo special about vegetables (and fruits for that matter)? Well, give us all day and we’ll tell you. But if you have a few minutes, we’d like to highlight one of the most special attributes of many fruits and vegetables called flavonoids.
Flavonoids may sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, but in the scientific community it is the name used to describe plant chemicals. While flavonoids come in a wide variety of types, they are most commonly known as the thing that gives fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors.
And according to research, supplying beautiful color is not the only benefit flavonoids have to offer. They are antioxidant compounds that have been found to fight free radicals (which also sound like sci-fi bad guys!) in order to protect the body from harmful conditions, including obesity.
A new study published in the British Medical Journal reported that in a group of 124,000 men and women over a period of 25 years, participants who indicated higher consumption of foods with seven different types of flavonoids were less likely to gain weight than those who consumed foods with lower or no flavonoids. The researchers accounted for differences in lifestyle variables such as smoking, physical activity levels and other dietary factors in order to isolate the impact of the flavonoids themselves.
Of course it has been established that lower body weight and fat percentage reduce risk of multiple conditions, such as chronic inflammation, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. But research on flavonoids has also shown that the phytochemicals themselves offer benefits that promote vitality and good health.
Knowing that flavonoids can provide the power supply your body needs to thrive, you probably want to know their names and where to find them. Since there are over 6,000 types, we’ll call out some of the most commonly known flavonoids, which you might recognize:
Anthocyanins. These powerful antioxidant compounds are primarily associated with weight management and diabetes prevention. Some of the best sources of anthocyanins are blueberries, pomegranates, plums, red wine, and grapes.
Flavonols. These nutrients are best known for reducing inflammation, a known contributor to weight gain and chronic disease. Flavonols are commonly found in tea, onions, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, apples, beans, and berries.
Flavanols. Flavanols have been shown to play an important part in improving cardiovascular, or heart, health. Green tea, black tea, apples, grapes, and fava beans are all rich in flavanols.
In addition to the power of flavonoids, fruits and veggies offer multiple weight loss helps such as high fiber levels to keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. And of course plant-based foods are known for having low calorie counts.
It is possible to get your flavonoids in supplement form, but in reality those don’t pack as much of a punch as the whole food sources. So, whether you listen to your medical provider to eat your flavonoids, or your mom to eat your fruits and vegetables, either way you’ll be putting some powerful nutrients in your corner for weight loss and great health.