Flavonoids

What are Flavonoids?

Flavonoids are one of the largest families of nutrients known by science and include more than 6,000 already known relatives. These compounds are found in fruit and vegetables, but also in other plants, where they support a wide variety of functions.  Flavonoids are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits. They are responsible for many vibrant colours in plants and flowers (e. g. the blue in blueberries or the red in raspberries) and thus assist in pollination by luring insects, or to ward off predation, some have a UV-filtering effect, they promote oxygen uptake and contribute to pest and fungal prevention.

Approximately 20 of these compounds, including apigenin, quercetin, cannaflavin A and cannaflavin B, β-sitosterol, vitexin, isovitexin, kaempferol, lutein and oriental were already registered in the cannabis plant. The flavonoids that were so far only found in cannabis are called cannaflavins. For cannabis, the contribution of flavonoids is primarily noticeable in the smell and taste of a variety.

Some flavonoids from the cannabis plant have been tested for pharmacological effects. Clinical findings are promising, but further research is needed to fully understand the role flavonoids play in the overall therapeutic effects of cannabis treatment, in particular their contribution to the' entourage effect'; how they interact with cannabinoids by improving synergistically or reducing their effects.