FLAVONOIDS IN PLANTS
FLAVONOIDS
ARE WHAT MAKE YOUR WEED UNIQUE!
What are flavonoids?
You might be asking yourself, “Why should I care about flavonoids?”, and the answer is because flavonoids are what make your weed unique! Flavonoids are part of a group of phytonutrients that give some of our favourite plants their colour, taste, smell, and more; think of the blue in blueberries or your favourite shade of purple in Purple Kush. External influences such as the amount of UV light that plants receive, as well as pests and fungi, can alter the flavonoids in your cannabis, which then changes the colour, taste, smell, and overall effects of the flower.
What do flavonoids do?
While the term flavonoid encompasses many of the edible plants we eat and cook, cannaflavins are the unique flavonoids present in only the cannabis plant. Research on the difference between cannaflavins and more common flavonoids is currently underway. A recent study showed that cannaflavin-A reduces inflammation better than aspirin! Cannaflavin-B and cannaflavin-C are being studied as well, and researchers are learning how the presence of everyday flavonoids work with or resist cannabis cannabinoids and terpenes.
What are the health benefits of flavonoids?
Some reported health benefits of flavonoids are that they help regulate cellular activity and fight off free radicals. Basically, they help your body function better while also protecting it against toxins and stressors. Flavonoids are also full of awesome antioxidants which help your body fight off illness, like the flavonoids in chocolate or in many of our colourful fruit and vegetables. They also help your body respond to inflammation by reducing your body's reaction.
Flavonoids effects
Flavonoids have different effects in different plants. At least five subtypes of flavonoids have been identified to have an effect on lowering high blood pressure, and flavonoids found in tea may help lower your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. A diet high in foods that have flavonoids may also help decrease your risk of type 2 diabetes, however, more research is needed to confirm the efficacy of this theory. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of flavonoids have also encouraged researchers to look into their potential in treating cancer cells. Certain flavonoids have been reported to help the body to stop the cancer cells from multiplying, but more studies and clinical trials need to be conducted before we can conclude that, and before the medical community can administer flavonoid-rich products and solutions as treatments or supplements.
Conclusion
Flavonoids and cannaflavin both need to be studied more rigorously to truly find the scope of their power. In the meantime, we’d like to think our daily dose of bud might be helping by encouraging anti-inflammatory responses in our bodies, and by accumulating the amount of supportive antioxidants that we receive every session.