Plant Flavonoids, Especially Tea Flavonols, Are Powerful Antioxidants Using an in Vitro Oxidation Model for Heart Disease

Flavonoids, commonly occurring antioxidants in foods, have been compared in a dose-response manner with vitamins C and E and beta-carotene and found to be powerful antioxidants using an in vitro lipoprotein oxidation model. This model simulates the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins, which results in atherosclerosis. Of the flavonoids and flavonoid-related compounds, flavonols found in tea are the most powerful natural antioxidants. These results provide a mechanism for the beneficial epidemiological effect of dietary flavonoids on heart disease