What are flavonoids?
Studied as early as 1936 by Albert Szent-Györgyi, who received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1937 for his work on vitamin C, flavonoids represent a large family of more than 6,000 compounds. They are plant pigments, responsible for the color of flowers and fruits. Like terpenes, flavonoids are present in all plants, including hemp (Cannabis Sativa).
They are classified in several groups, including:
- Flavones found in marjoram, sage, thyme or beer
- Flavonols with antioxidant power, which are found in blackberries, raspberries, tomatoes, peppers, but also in beer and red wine.
- Flavanonols present in oregano and red wine
- Flavanones are found in citrus fruits such as grapefruit and oranges.
- Aurones
- Chalcones
In plants, flavonoids are antioxidant agents, but they also play an important role in the protection of plants by providing the pigments necessary for the color of flowers, leaves or fruits. This is to attract pollinators, deter or attract certain herbivores. They also contribute to the protection against the UV of the sun, and the microbial agents.
What does research say about flavonoids and health?
Naturally present in vegetables and fruits consumed in human food, flavonoids have shown, in vitro, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
For some years, the lucrative sale of food supplements containing flavonoids has given rise to many varied, and sometimes even fanciful, claims. This is why the European health authorities have regulated the claims about their effects, recalling that the vast majority of studies published to date were carried out on cells in vitro.
Flavonoids in food
Fruits and vegetables that we eat every day are rich in flavonoids. Eating them is good for health: by following the Santé publique France recommendation of 5 fruits and vegetables a day, we take in a significant amount of flavonoids every day.
Today, even if the role of flavonoids remains to be determined with more precision, scientists consider it preferable for them to come from a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables rather than from supplements.
Cannabis and flavonoids
Before going further, let us stop for a moment on cannabis. Cannabis is still too often associated in the collective imagination, with the psychotropic effects of a famous cannabinoid that it produces, THC. But cannabis is not a plant, but a family of plants:
- Cannabis Sativa, or industrial hemp : It is used to produce CBD (cannabidiol) oil from the plant's flowers. The other parts, like the leaves and the stem are used in other industries (Textiles, building, food, etc.). Cannabis Sativa is therefore very rich in CBD, and contains a negligible amount of THC which must not exceed 0.3% in France.
- Cannabis Indica : This is recreational cannabis, grown illegally or not depending on the state. It is very rich in THC, and contains little CBD. Its consumption remains prohibited in a large majority of countries in the world, even if certain governments start to evoke the subject of its legalization.
- Cannabis Ruderalis : Low in THC and CBD, it is currently not used in any particular way.
What research explores about CBD
CBD is not psychotropic, and in recent years, scientists have published numerous studies, mostly preclinical, on its possible effects:
- Inflammation : several in vivo studies on animals have observed anti-inflammatory effects of CBD (cannabidiol) (MECHA, et al. 2013, KOZELA et al. 2013, BUCCELLATO et al. 2011, RIBEIRO et al. 2012); these results do not allow any conclusion for humans.
- Pain : a possible analgesic effect of cannabidiol is being studied; the available data do not show that CBD relieves pain as a medicine would.
- Anxiety : in 2011, a small study (Bergamaschi et al.) in 24 patients with social anxiety disorder reported possible anxiolytic effects of cannabidiol; these results remain preliminary.
- Sleep : a study on rats observed an increase in sleep duration after CBD administration (2013 CHAGAS et al.); this has not been confirmed in humans.
CBD is not a medicine: for any health problem, ask a doctor for advice.
CBD, terpenes, flavonoids and entourage effect
The entourage effect is an idea from herbal medicine, where it is considered that the "totum", that is to say the whole plant and what it contains, is at the origin of its effects. Thus in the case of hemp (Cannabis S.), it is the entourage effect, the synergy of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids that would produce its effects, a hypothesis still debated.
According to this hypothesis, a CBD isolate would act differently from a broad spectrum extract (containing CBD, terpenes and flavonoids); this has not been demonstrated.
What to look at on a CBD product label
CBD products are numerous, and available in several forms, such as cosmetic oils, balms or flowers (CBD foods, such as gums or candies, are not authorised in the EU). A few criteria help assess the quality of a product:
- Is the CBD oil broad spectrum (cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids)?
- What is the extraction method used?
- Is the oil organic?
- What quality guarantees does the manufacturer give?
These criteria help assess the quality of a hemp product, without implying any health effect.
