Vitamin P is not a vitamin but refers to a group of plant compounds better known as ‘flavonoids’ or ‘bioflavonoids’. These are vital nutrients for our bodies, helping prevent diabetes, heart disease, and more.
Vitamin P is found in fruits, vegetables, tea, cocoa, and wine. In fact, flavonoids protect plants from UV rays, infection, and environmental stresses, helping them grow and attract insects for pollination.
So, what are the various types of Vitamin P and how do they benefit us? Let’s find out.
Types of Vitamin P
Vitamin P encompasses a vast variety - over 6,000 known types of flavonoids. The first ever study establishing the existence of Vitamin P was done in 1930 when scientists extracted a plant compound from oranges and mistook it as a vitamin.
Some of the main types of flavonoids include:
- Flavonols: Probably the most prevalent flavonoids, these are present in the roughage-rich foods you consume frequently. They have antioxidant properties, promoting heart health and offering protection against oxidative stress and inflammation.
- Flavones: Next up are flavones like Apigenin and Luteolin. Flavones are your body's equivalent to coolants. They calm inflammation, protect against infections, even cancer, and improve cognitive function.
- Flavan-3-ols (Catechins): These make for a good excuse to break open a block of dark chocolate. If you enjoy a good cup of tea or fruit salad bowl full of apples and pears, you’ll acquire a good amount of flavan-3-ols, which stimulate metabolism and maintain a healthy heart.
- Flavanones: These are your body's detox team. Citrus fruits are a great source of flavanones, which help cleanse toxins, decrease inflammation, and boost your metabolic rate. Thus, they are an excellent addition to the diet plan.
- Anthocyanins: These flavonoids give fruits like blueberries and cherries their intense red, pink and blue hues. Anthocyanins promote good heart health, build muscle tissue mass, encourage healthy blood flow, and protect against chronic disease while adding their little sparkle to your diet.
- Isoflavones: For women experiencing menopause, osteoporosis, or hormone dysregulation, these compounds gently and naturally soothe the pain. Soy products are loaded with isoflavones.
- Chalcones: Chalcones are less known than other flavonoids but are equally vital. They protect from allergies, suppress inflammation, combat pathogenic microbes and maintain well-being at finer, cellular levels.
Food Sources Rich in Vitamin P
Since flavonoids are plant-based, many fruits and leafy greens are excellent sources of Vitamin P, as are wine, tea, and dark chocolate. You must consciously choose foods rich in Vitamin P because the human body cannot produce flavonoids by itself. Here are some sources to consider:
- For flavonols, go for grapes, peaches, broccoli, kale, lettuce and onions.
- Flavones are concentrated in the peels of citrus oranges, lemons, etc., as much as green leafy herbs like mint, celery and chamomile. The parsley, fenugreek and peppermint you reach out for to garnish your recipes have flavones, too.
- Green tea, cocoa, black tea, apples, and strawberries contain high degrees of catechins or flavan-3-ols.
- Beyond their tangy goodness, many citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits) have high amounts of flavanones.
- Cherries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, red cabbage and red grapes all contain anthocyanins.
- Tofu and legumes like soybeans are rich in isoflavones as well as chalcones.
- As for chalcones, they are contained in staples like tomatoes and potatoes, several fruits, wheat, and hops used in beer.
The Benefits of Vitamin P
Vitamin P or flavonoids are responsible for protecting plants from environmental damage, the harsh sun, infection, etc., and lend them their beautiful colour. But what about the benefits of Vitamin P for humans? Here are four among many:
1. Promoting cardiovascular health
Flavonoids can positively impact heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease by promoting proper blood circulation throughout the body. Types of flavonoids like flavonols, anthocyanidins, flavones, flavanones, and flavan-3-ols play a major role here.
2. Protection from diabetes
Flavonoids can aid our health by keeping cholesterol in check and improving insulin resistance.
3. Enhanced brain health
The cognitive benefits of flavonoids are also well-known. Flavonoids found in cocoa, for example, can aid brain function by improving the neural pathways that play an important role in attention and memory.
4. Immunity and anti-inflammation
Vitamin P contains antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. This helps slow down cell damage, strengthen the immune system, treat infections, prevent allergies, and contribute to glowing, healthy skin. Consumption of Vitamin P is also linked to the prevention of cancer.
Conclusion
There is no denying the fact that Vitamin P – flavonoids – is power-packed with antioxidant benefits promoting overall health. However, the capacity of the human body to metabolise the plant compound remains limited, which, in turn, reduces the ultimate impact of flavonoids.
Though maintaining a diverse diet of colourful fruits and vegetables allows you to access these incredible plant compounds and make the most of them, you must note that enjoying good health is not just about boosting your diet with the fanciest vitamins and nutrients. It’s good to prepare a safety net for when you fall ill, such as having the best health insurance, as this allows you to choose the best treatment options without worry.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your general physician or another certified medical professional for any questions regarding a medical condition. Relying on any information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk, and ICICI Lombard is not responsible for any effects or consequences resulting from the use of the information shared.