A bioflavonoid is any one of a group of biologically active substances found in plants. They serve in the maintenance of the walls of small blood vessels in mammals.
Notable sources of bioflavonoids of interest to humans include red wine, green tea, onions, grapefruit seeds, apples, and other fruits and berries. Recent US research indicates that chocolate high in cocoa content (70% or more) may be the richest food source of flavonoids such as epicatechin.
The bioflavonoids are helpful in the absorption of vitamin C and protect the multifunctional vitamin C molecule from oxidation, thereby improving and prolonging its functioning.
Therefore, the bioflavonoids are indirectly, and possibly directly, involved in maintaining the health of the collagen that holds the cells together by forming the basement membranes of cells, tissues, and cartilage.
Bioflavonoids are essential for the absorption and utilization of vitamin C.
Bioflavonoids such as Quercetin, Rutin, and Hesperidin are vital through their ability to increase the strength of the capillaries (blood vessels) and to regulate their permeability.
Quercetin, a bioflavonoid obtained from buckwheat and citrus fruits, appears to stabilize the membranes of the mast cells that release histamine.
Bioflavonoids may be useful because of their reported antioxidant properties, their ability to increase the strength of the capillaries, and to regulate their permeability.
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