Just What Are Cannabis Flavonoids?

Not long ago, cannabis was quite the mystery. Nobody knew much about it. Most everyone knew it makes stoned, that it gives munchies, makes sleepy. However, we are now discovering just how it works. As it turns out, whole plant medicine is best. Cannabis compounds work best when they work together. Cannabinoids, terpenes, and yes, flavonoids too. What are they? What are their effects?

Cannabinoid therapy is popular medicine these days. People use cannabinoids to treat an array of health issues. Long queues for the cannabis Washington D.C. offers are already normal, just further cementing this evidence. Terpenoids are what give plants their smells. Their flavors. They also offer medicinal benefit and are useful in therapy. All very good news. 

The Heart of Flavonoids 

Turns out, flavonoids are crucial. These important phytonutrients are vital for plant survival. You find them aplenty in almost all fruits and vegetables, where they make vibrant their bright and tempting colors. They make strawberries red. Tomatoes. Flavonoids color fruits. Color flowers. They are the blues, greens, yellows too, and they help to attract pollinating insects, as well as deter predators. 

Flavonoids are everywhere. There is no shortage of them. Already, we know of well over 6,000 of them, with more added seemingly every day. All flavonoids are worthy, but some offer more benefits than others do. Anthocyanidins, flavanones, flavanols, flavon-3-ols, flavones, isoflavones; these are just some worth discussing. Mostly, they are most nutritious, a real dietary boon. 

• Flavonoids and their effects. 

Studying flavonoids is proving interesting. Flavonoids seem responsible for most health benefits associated with eating vegetables and fruits. As the U.S. National Library of Medicine explains, a study by Oregon State University suggests significant promise in flavonoids for therapeutic use. It shows anticancer, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and anti-thrombogenic effects. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, this does not even begin to cover the massive potential of their medicinal value. Other studies also sing their praises, with one proving them useful in bettering both cardiovascular and metabolic health. Another study shows flavonoids improving glycemic control in diabetics. Its promise in the use of medicine appears seemingly endless. 

• Flavonoids and their history.

Flavonoids are way more than just simple phytonutrients, though. Way more. Specifically, they belong to a particular phytonutrient family called polyphenols. Among those practicing ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, polyphenols treat many different health issues. They boost cognitive function, for example. They regulate blood pressure, blood sugar. They treat skin issues. 

Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory. They are antioxidant. Existing evidence proves them helpful in: 

• Cancer

• Cardiovascular Disease

• Diabetes

• Longevity

• Neurodegenerative Disorders

• Obesity

• Vitality

You can find flavonoids available as supplements. However, this might not be the best way to use them, as that same study explains. Flavonoids are healthiest and most effective in their natural state. When consumed in supplement farm, flavonoids might cause dizziness, vomiting, nausea, even tremors. For this reason, it is wisest to use flavonoids by consuming their plants. 

Therefore, eating fruit and vegetable skins is good for you. Flavonoids are especially plentiful in the skins of plants. Further, one loses flavonoids in the cooking process, since they, like other compounds, denature in heat. For this reason, to maximize flavonoid input, you might consider including some raw buds in your diet from time to time. Fruits work well too, as do vegetables. 

Flavonoids and their Types

Flavonoids are in most plants. Abundantly too. They, along with terpenes, create the fragrant and pungent aromas, the dashing colors, the drool-worthy flavors of a particular plant. Cannabis flowers are especially colorful. You find an array of greens, yellows, pinks, browns, oranges, purples, reds, and more. Flavonoids have a leading role in creating all these pigments. 

Throughout their lives, as weed plants grow, they produce flavonoids. Lots of them. They do much more than just give smell and color to buds. They also have the jobs of filtering ultraviolet rays, deterring pests, boosting mood, and preventing plant disease. Study has been trying, what with federal prohibition. Laws are changing. Research is intense. We already know of these flavonoids: 

• Apigenin

• β-sitosterol

• Cannaflavins A, B, and C

• Isovitexin

• Kaempferol

• Luteolin

• Orientin

• Quercetin

• Vitexin

To maximize the production of flavonoids, weed plants require ideal growing conditions. Genetics is crucial too. Scientists are still learning about these valuable compounds, but as more study gets underway, we get smarter. The exact role of flavonoids in contributing to the overall effects of cannabis remains a mystery. We have yet still very much to learn. 

Best Places to Buy Cannabis in Washington D.C. 

The abundance of flavonoids in cannabis plants makes them an ideal source for it. Fortunately, weed is readily available at most any Washington D.C. cannabis dispensary. However, since flavonoids destruct under heat, it is best to consume them raw on occasion. Enjoy your buds. Stoke pipes, toke bongs, puff joints, all important. Just take the time to chew on them raw from time to time too.