When it comes to cannabis, you may be familiar with dominant Cannabinoids like CBD and THC. You may even be hip to the benefits of terpenes and the effects they have not only on the aromas and flavors of your favorite strains, but also on your own well-being. But tell us, what do you know about flavonoids?
In this guide, we'll discuss:
- What are flavonoids?
- Where are flavonoids found?
- What is the entourage effect?
If the answer is "what are flavonoids", you're not alone. So let's dive deeper into this relatively unknown aspect of the entourage effect.
What are flavonoids?
Flavonoids are natural substances that act as known as secondary metabolites and are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, bark, roots, stems, flowers, tea and wine. Similar to cannabinoids and terpenes, flavonoids are known for their health-promoting effects and efforts are being made to isolate and further research them. Flavonoids work in harmony with terpenes to deliver the distinctive aromas and flavors of your favorite flowers, fruits, vegetables and, of course, weed.
Rooted in the Latin word flavus, which means "blond" or "yellow", flavonoids are also responsible for the responsible for the bright colors found in many flowering plants... like cannabis.
Little is yet known about them, but we do know that there are at least 8,000 different types of flavonoids, of which six main types are found in common foods and plants plants. Flavanols are revered for their antioxidant properties and have even been shown to help treat cardiovascular complications. They are most commonly found in onions, kale, grapes (and wine), tea, berries and tomatoes.
Where are flavonoids found?
- Flavan-3-ols are usually found in nutrient-rich foods such as apples, strawberries and even cocoa.
- Flavones give blue and white flowering plants their pigmentation and also serve as a natural pesticide to protect plants from predators. It is found in celery, parsley, peppers, peppermint and chamomile.
- Flavanones are also excellent, all-natural antioxidants found in foods such as grapefruit, lemons, limes and oranges and are known to help people control weight and cholesterol.
- Isoflavones are widely found in soy and soy products as well as legumes and are useful for maintaining hormonal balance.
- Anthocyanins tend to give flowers their red, blue and purple coloring and are found in abundance in the skin of certain berries such as cranberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries.
- Cannabis flavonoids: Strangely enough, all of these are also found in cannabis. At least 20 different flavonoids have been detected in different cannabis varieties.
Even stranger, the cannabis plant contains exclusive flavonoids that you won't find in the grocery store. In fact, cannabis plants contain several unique flavonoids - known as cannflavins - which, as far as we know, are not found anywhere else in nature.
Some flavonoids found in edibles and weed are quercetin (apples, green tea, red onions, ginkgo biloba), apigenin (basil, cilantro, mint, parsley) and kaempferol (cucumber, ginger, green beans, spinach). There are others, of course.
Offer
Frisian Dew
HEREDASICON
| Gender | Feminized | ||
| Crossbreed | Super Skunk x Purple Star | ||
| strain | Hybrid (Sativa-Indica) | ||
| Cultivation | Outdoor/Greenhouse | ||
| Flowering time indoors | Not suitable | ||
| Flowering time outdoor | End of September to end of October | ||
| Flowering time | 8 weeks | ||
| Outdoor yield | XXL (several kilograms per plant possible) | ||
| Indoor yield | Not suitable | ||
| THC | 10-15% | ||
| CBD | 0,10% | ||
| CBG | <0,05% | ||
| Effect | Energetic, creative high, later relaxing body stone | ||
| Taste & aroma | Fruity, floral, pine, lavender, earthy | ||
| Properties | Robust, resistant to bad weather, large purple flowers | ||
| Terpenes | Beta-caryophyllene, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, humulene, terpineol |
(4)
Don Purple Dick
| Gender | Feminized | ||
| Crossbreeding | Purple Urkle x Moby Dick | ||
| strain | 50% indica, 50% sativa | ||
| Cultivation | Outdoor, indoor, greenhouse | ||
| Flowering time | 8 - 9 weeks | ||
| THC | up to 26% | ||
| Flavor & aroma | Pine, berries, grapes, earthy | ||
| Effect | Euphoric, psychedelic, relaxing |
FLAVONOIDS & THE ENTOURAGE EFFECT
When combined with cannabinoids and terpenes flavonoids flood the chemical receptors through the body's endocannabinoid system. Taken into the body in these natural ratios, these sacred components of the cannabis plant provide what is known as the entourage effect which not only makes you happier, but can also act as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent, contributing to a positive quality of life.
Each flower from each crop of each phenotype of each strain can potentially have slight variations in the ratio and types of cannabinoids, flavonoids and terpenes, which is why certain strains grown in certain ways by certain growers literally act differently.
Although it is only speculative at this point, we believe that flavonoids are the key to understanding why two samples with very similar levels and types of cannabinoid and terpene content can have very different effects on the same consumer. Again, these are just anecdotal experiences of some guys who have smoked a shit ton of different variations of high quality weed.
The truth is that the best ways to consume the highest amounts of this minimal metabolite are likely through properly prepared edibles or tinctures, as the high heat and combustion associated with burning could destroy flavonoids.
The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer and neuroprotective benefits of flavonoids (and cannflavins) are strongly reminiscent of the wellness benefits offered by the widely appreciated cannabinoids and terpenes. The latter two are often prominently displayed in brand marketing and on product packaging, while barely noticeable but highly influential flavonoids receive little or no attention.
What is the entourage effect?
The entourage effect is a theoretical principle that suggests that compounds produced in the cannabis plant's trichomes, cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids and more work together to create a full-body experience.
"The cannabis experience is much more than just THC or CBD, because the cannabis plant is more than just a few cannabinoids. Think of it as different parts of the plant all working together for the good of your body," says Dr. Debra Kimless, a cannabis expert board-certified in anesthesiology, pain management and lifestyle medicine. "No other plant is as efficient or multimodal as cannabis."
That's slowly changing, as forward-thinking cannabis lab testing facilities are leading the way in detecting flavonoids for their clients s in the consumer market, while actual research labs are still battling federal cannabis prohibition and subpar nugs as test subjects.
Flavonoids could be the future.
