什么是類黃酮?

什么是類黃酮?

Flavonoids are plant-based compounds with powerful antioxidant properties found in many fruits and vegetables like blueberries and grapes. They serve a variety of functions such as protecting blood vessel walls in people who have heart disease or diabetes, alleviating allergies, protecting brain health against dementia and even preventing some cancers.

You can find flavonoids in items like green tea and apples. (Photo: panna-yulka/Shutterstock)

類黃酮是一種植物性化合物，具有很強的抗氧化能力，存在于許多水果和蔬菜中，比如藍莓和葡萄。它們具有多種功能，如保護心臟病或糖尿病患者的血管壁，緩解過敏，保護大腦健康，防止癡呆，甚至預防某些癌癥。

Flavonoids or bioflavonoids — another word for the same compounds — have medicinal properties that include the ability to defend against cancer, viruses, not to mention anti-microbial, antihistamine and anti-inflammatory characteristics.

黃酮類化合物或生物黃酮類化合物——相同化合物的另一種說法——具有藥物特性，包括抗癌、抗病毒，更不用說抗微生物、抗組胺和抗炎特性。

A new study finds that consuming flavonoids can protect against heart disease and cancer. It's especially key for people who smoke and drink more than two alcoholic drinks a day.

一項新的研究發(fā)現，食用黃酮類化合物可以預防心臟病和癌癥。這對每天吸煙和飲酒超過兩杯的人來說尤其重要。

Where to find flavonoids?

哪里可以找到黃酮類化合物?

Blueberries are rich in flavonoids. (Photo: Africa Studios/Shutterstock)

"The best ones are blueberries, chocolate and green tea," says Dr. Laurie Steelsmith, a naturopathic physician

“最好的是藍莓、巧克力和綠茶，”自然療法醫(yī)生勞里·斯蒂爾史密斯(Laurie Steelsmith)博士說，他是一位自然療法醫(yī)師。

Blueberries: Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants that can help support blood vessel walls and play a role in protecting the brain from oxidative stress, which is important in treating the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and many other conditions.

藍莓:藍莓富含抗氧化劑，可以幫助支撐血管壁，并在保護大腦免受氧化應激方面發(fā)揮作用。氧化應激對治療早期阿爾茨海默氏癥和許多其他疾病很重要。

Green tea: Another flavonoid favorite is green tea, which contains compounds called polyphenols (wine has them too) that have potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties.

綠茶:另一個類黃酮的最愛是綠茶，它含有一種叫做多酚的化合物(葡萄酒也有)，具有強大的抗氧化、抗炎和抗癌特性。

Chocolate: Flavanols are the main type of flavonoid found in cocoa and chocolate. Along with antioxidant properties, flavanols have other potential benefits to vascular health, such as lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow to the brain and heart, and making blood platelets less sticky and able to clot. But that's not a license to overindulge in the sweet confection.

巧克力:黃烷醇是可可和巧克力中發(fā)現的主要類黃酮。除了抗氧化特性，黃烷醇還對血管健康有其他潛在的好處，比如降低血壓，改善流向大腦和心臟的血液流量，以及降低血小板的粘性和凝結能力。但這并不是放縱自己吃甜食的借口。

Bilberry: Another noteworthy herbal star full of flavonoids is bilberry (part of the vitamin C complex). Studies show these flavonoids can help strengthen blood vessel walls and can help prevent eye disorders such as diabetic retinopathy.

越桔:另一個值得注意的富含類黃酮的草本明星是越桔(維生素C復合物的一部分)。研究表明，這些黃酮類化合物有助于增強血管壁，并有助于預防糖尿病視網膜病變等眼疾。

Vegetables: The USDA Flavonoid Database lists the flavonoid content of 58 veggies. Among those with the highest marks: Broccoli, kale, yellow, red and spring onions, hot peppers, rutabaga, spinach and water cress.

蔬菜:美國農業(yè)部的類黃酮數據庫列出了58種蔬菜的類黃酮含量。得分最高的蔬菜包括:西蘭花、羽衣甘藍、黃色、紅色和蔥、辣椒、蕪菁甘藍、菠菜和西洋菜。

What's the ideal way to consume flavonoids?

攝入類黃酮的理想方式是什么?

The best way to get your fill of flavonoids is by eating loads of fresh fruit and vegetables daily. If you have a specific condition, you might try a flavonoid supplement, but dosages vary widely and may be higher than what you'd receive from a healthy, balanced diet.

獲取類黃酮的最好方法是每天吃大量的新鮮水果和蔬菜。如果你有特定的情況，你可以嘗試黃酮類化合物補充劑，但劑量差別很大，可能比你從健康均衡的飲食中得到的要高。

The most positive thing you can do for both your overall health and to treat specific conditions is to eat more fruits and vegetables that contain a wide variety of antioxidant-rich flavonoids, adding chocolate, wine and tea in moderation.

對你的整體健康和治療特定疾病來說，最積極的事情就是多吃水果和蔬菜，它們含有多種富含抗氧化劑的類黃酮，適量添加巧克力、葡萄酒和茶。