We live at a time where cannabis research is getting more and more common. This has allowed us to discover the presence of over 200 bioactive compounds within the cannabis plant, which is itself a rare and very precious asset. However, people usually believe only terpenes and phytocannabinoids are part of this compound group, even though these substances are only part of the many compounds that cannabis produces. Another substance that should be considered is flavonoids, which deliver a very impressive effect to the cannabis consumer.
Flavonoids account for barely 10% of the compound group that can be found within cannabis, with over 20 flavonoids variations present in the cannabis formula. It’s dazzling to know that cannabis is not the only plant out there that has flavonoids among its compounds. Ever since this compound was discovered, scientists have found flavonoids in many different flora throughout nature. Whether it’s in fruits and vegetables, flowers, or trees — flavonoids are everywhere.
And yet, there is a specific type of flavonoids that is exclusive to cannabis. These are the ones we call cannaflavins, and they are more or less similar to terpenes in the sense that they impact how we use our senses to perceive cannabis. However, even though we might get a good idea of how flavonoids work, they are still quite mysterious. We still don’t know many things about flavonoids, which is why scientific research hasn’t uncovered any great details about them yet.
Let’s examine for ourselves what flavonoids can do for the average cannabis consumer, and how they can make our experience more enjoyable.
Flavonoids Are The Landmark of A Cannabis Profile
Flavonoids are comprised of many different polyphenolic compounds whose goal is to function as secondary metabolites to plants and fungi. So far, scientists have discovered approximately 6,000 flavonoid variants. These compound variations carry out many different functions.
Scientists have found out that flavonoids act as natural components, mostly by providing color pigmentation to flowers and other plants. This helps the flora attract pollinators and reproduce. There are lots of different plants out there whose bright colors are due to flavonoids. Among these are edible fruits and vegetables with non-green pigmentation. Flavonoids also help protect plants against lethal elements like harmful UV rays, as well as pests and other substances.
Most people make the mistake of thinking only terpenes give cannabis its signature taste and aroma. And yet, flavonoids are just as important for this process, given that they manage to provide meaningful qualities that make cannabis enjoyable. If we didn’t have flavonoids, we couldn’t tell what makes a certain strain different from others. It is only thanks to flavonoids that we know what cannabis smells and tastes like. Flavonoids and terpenes interact with each other synergistically, which provide cannabis with a great deal of flavor and aroma.
Another important effect flavonoids have is in cannabis pigmentation. Many cannabis strains benefit from flavonoids pigmentation, such as anthoxanthins and anthocyanins. In plants such as berries, anthocyanin can make the color turn red, blue, or purple.
On top of giving cannabis color, aroma, taste, and protection, flavonoids also have many medical benefits. In fact, some researchers believe that flavonoids can be highly regarded as the main reason why medical cannabis is so effective. So far as scientific data suggests, cannaflavins can only deliver medical effects when used in cannabis.
There are many types of flavonoids we can examine to get a sense of their medical properties. One of these is quercetin, which can be found in different vegetables and fruits. Doctors and researchers favor quercetin due to its antioxidant and anti-fungal properties. Another well-regarded set of flavonoids are catechins, which can also be found in teas, cocoa and other pome fruits. Catechins are acknowledged as a positive source of cardiovascular and antioxidant health benefits.
However, when it comes to cannabis, flavonoids act in many different ways. On the one hand, cannaflavin A is pharmacologically active. Research shows that cannaflavin A has anti-inflammatory effects that could be even stronger than those of aspirin. However, there are also two other cannaflavins which are yet to be researched properly, Cannaflavins B and C. Like quercetin, there are many active flavonoids with a special way of acting in cannabis. Among these are silymarin, orientin and kaempferol. All these flavonoids have anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancerous benefits. With future studies, they will likely be put to good use within the medical industry. However, it should be noted that we still don’t know if flavonoids enhance the properties of cannabinoids or play a role in modulating the way they work. More studies will have to be conducted to ascertain this.
Flavonoids Could Produce The Entourage Effect
When many different active substances within cannabis interact with each other in a synergistic way, we call this process the “entourage effect.” The substances that interact with each other this way are pharmacologically active, which means they are directly responsible for the medical benefits cannabis has.
The human body has an endocannabinoid system, which is a receptor network that pretty much covers every organ in the body. Through the entourage effect, cannabinoids bind to these receptors and cause many different reactions in the system. This is a process where terpenes are also engaged in, which enhances the way flavonoids work in our body. The synergistic properties we benefit from are produced during this interesting process, thanks to the combinations of biomolecules and other substances.
During the entourage effect, CBD manages to modulate the effects of THC. In a similar fashion, flavonoids are believed to possess similar traits. However, we still don’t know everything that flavonoids can do as part of the entourage effect. In order to find out all about this, scientists will have to run thorough researches on this compound in the future.
If you would like to know how flavonoids act on your delivery method of choice, you should ask your local Haven budtender. This interesting and underrated substance is shaping the way we consume cannabis, and is bound to become a groundbreaking component for medical research in the future.
