The goal is to be healthy and strong as we age because this helps us in all walks of life. And nicely enough, we have much control over our lifestyle which can be modified however we choose. With improved strength, we are more likely to have the energy to engage in physical activities as we age, more easily perform basic life skills without fatigue, and it also encourages other healthy behaviors.
Therefore one method women can employ to encourage healthy aging is by eating more flavonoids in their diet. Despite continued research in regards to whether or not there are many benefits of consuming flavonoids towards reducing cancer or even if flavonoids alone are cardioprotective, there are many articles and studies that have encouraged the consumption of flavonoids for healthy aging, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and to improving mental health and physical functioning with a higher consumption of flavonoids.
For example, in THIS article the authors shares the importance of women consuming flavonoids after conducting a 15 year study with over 13,000 women. The author shares:
“Flavonoids are plant-based compounds with powerful antioxidant properties and are found in many fruits and vegetables (berries, grapes, oranges, onions, celery, to name just a few).”
Oregon State University presented information in a chart format to help showcase the various common dietary flavonoids.
| Table 1: Common Dietary Flavonoids (Select the highlighted text to see chemical structures.) |
||
|
Flavonoid Subclass
|
Dietary Flavonoids | Some Common Food Sources |
| Anthocyanidins | Cyanidin, Delphinidin, Malvidin, Pelargonidin, Peonidin, Petunidin | Red, blue, and purple berries; red and purple grapes; red wine |
| Monomers (Catechins): Catechin, Epicatechin, Epigallocatechin Epicatechin gallate, Epigallocatechin gallateDimers and Polymers: Theaflavins, Thearubigins,Proanthocyanidins |
Catechins: Teas (particularly green and white), chocolate, grapes, berries, apples
Theaflavins, Thearubigins: Teas (particularly black and oolong) Proanthocyanidins: Chocolate, apples, berries, red grapes, red wine |
|
| Flavanones | Hesperetin, Naringenin, Eriodictyol | Citrus fruits and juices, e.g., oranges, grapefruits, lemons |
| Flavonols | Quercetin, Kaempferol, Myricetin, Isorhamnetin | Widely distributed: yellow onions, scallions, kale, broccoli, apples, berries, teas |
| Flavones | Apigenin, Luteolin | Parsley, thyme, celery, hot peppers, |
| Isoflavones | Daidzein, Genistein, Glycitein | Soybeans, soy foods, legumes |
So ladies, go ahead and eat your berries, oranges, broccoli and kale! Do it for your health!
Posted with Blogsy