Flavonoids and Health

Abstract

Flavonoids are majör sources of red, blue and yellow pigmeııts in the plant kingdom. They are polyphenolic compounds naturally present in vegetables, frııits and beverages sııch as tea and wine. It has been reported t hat the majör flavonoids in vegetables are quercetin, followed by kaempferol and qııercetin in fruits. In recent years, evidence from epidemiological and other studies have suggested t hat there is an inverse relatioııship between fruit and vegetable consumptiotı and coronary heart disease and cancer. It is appeared to be t hat on e of the protective non-nutritional compoımd in vegetables and frııits are flavonoids. Therefore in this study, flavonoids, biological effects of flavonoids and hecılth effects of flavonoids on coronary heart disease and cancer are reviewed.