What are flavonoids?
AFlavonoids are secondary plant substances that occur in the entire plant world - and of course also in the hemp plant. They generally take on the following functions:
- Are colouring agents for the blossoms and fruits of plants. They give the flowers their splendid colours, the tomato its strong red or the apple its rich green.
- Protect the plant from dangerous short-wave solar radiation (UV protection).
- Help defend against pests (predators).
- Support the symbiosis between plants, fungi and bacteria by acting as chemical attractants.
- They attract pollinators.
What do flavonoids do?
Flavonoids are absorbed by humans through food and can be very beneficial to health (bioflavonoids). In the past, these plant substances were also called vitamin P.
Flavonoids have particularly strong antioxidant properties for human cells. This means that they protect the body's cells from free radicals. But not only that, flavonoids can also have anti-allergic and antimicrobial effects. That is why they are also used in medicine against various ailments and diseases.
A well-known example is flavonoids, which influence the permeability of blood vessels: Rutin or hesperidin. These types of plant substances have a vasoprotective effect, for example. They are used to produce remedies against venous disorders.
Which plants have flavonoids?
As already mentioned, flavonoids are found in all plants. We mainly absorb flavonoids by eating vegetables and fruit. In fruits, they are present in high concentrations in the skin. But green or black tea, red wine and dark chocolate also contain plenty of flavonoids.
What flavonoids does the hemp plant have?
In scientific experiments from the 1980s, it was discovered that cannabis plants also produce flavonoids. First, two flavonoids were discovered in the hemp plant: cannaflavin A and cannaflavin B . In later studies, scientists then found the flavonoid cannaflavin C.. As it turned out, cannaflavins can have a very strong anti-inflammatory effect. However, they only occur in low concentrations in the hemp plant.
