Four Flavonoid Foods that Can Extend Life, Reduce Disease

It’s easy: Just make a point of regularly eating these flavonoid foods and you can live a longer, healthier life.

These foods are simple to eat and readily available.

A major study backs up the health benefits of these satisfying foods.

The flavonoid foods that are easy to fit into your regular menu include whole apples, whole berries, minimally processed dark chocolate, and tea.

Can’t get more simple and straightforward than that!

These four foods can help people live longer and reduce the risk of developing serious chronic illness.

This international research effort, led by experts from Queen’s University Belfast, Edith Cowan University in Perth, and the Medical University of Vienna, followed more than 120,000 individuals 40 to 70 for over 10 years.

What are flavonoids?

These phytonutrients (phyto means plant) are naturally occurring compounds in plant based foods.

Chocolate, though often associated with “bad” food such as candy, cake, brownies, cookies and ice cream, is actually plant based, from the cocao bean.

Previous research has shown that these compounds can support heart and brain health and help manage blood sugar levels.

However, this large study goes a step further by showing that not just the amount, but also the variety of flavonoids in one’s daily food intake, can make a significant difference.

Study Results

According to the findings, people who consumed approximately 500 milligrams of flavonoids per day had a 16% lower chance of dying from any cause.

They also had around a 10% reduced risk of conditions like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and respiratory illness.

That amount is roughly equivalent to what’s found in two cups of tea.

But researchers found that those who obtained this amount from a mix of flavonoid-rich sources (such as one small cup of tea, an apple, some berries, a few dark chocolate squares) saw even greater health benefits.

Dr. Benjamin Parmenter of ECU, the study’s chief author and co-lead researcher, was the first to notice the added advantages of including a wider selection of flavonoids.

This study shows that you don’t have to force two cups of tea down to get the benefits; you can have a little bit of tea, if at all, and then pack a health wallop with a juicy apple, a homemade berry smoothie and a dark chocolate square. Even citrus fruits count.

The paper also points out that individual flavonoids work in different ways.

Some help control blood pressure, while others may reduce inflammation or improve cholesterol.

The benefit of combining multiple means a broader range of health boosting effects.

So it isn’t just total intake that’s important, but diversity.

But how much of these foods contain 500 mg of flavonoids?

Blueberries

About 60 to 65 average blueberries contain around 500 mg of flavonoids.

Strawberries

About 20 average strawberries contain about 500 mg of flavonoids.

Apples

You can get about 500 mg of flavonoids in two medium apples

Dark Chocolate

Let’s use the size of a small Hershey bar for reference, since everyone is familiar with the size of this classic candy bar.

Four-fifths of this size bar equals about 500 mg of flavonoids.

Of note: A Hershey’s Dark Chocolate bar actually has less cocoa than premium dark chocolate squares that you might see at a health food store or order online.

Tea

As already mentioned in the study, two cups of tea will give you 500 mg.

Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness, where she was also a group fitness instructor, she trained clients of all ages and abilities for fat loss and maintaining it, muscle and strength building, fitness, and improved cardiovascular and overall health.

­Top image: ©Lorra Garrick