Flavonoids are commonly found in fruits, vegetables, and plant-derived foods and may promote various health benefits when included in the diet. The biological activity of flavonoids is normally associated to their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, since oxidative stress is associated to conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, flavonoids may be related to metabolic diseases through their effects on inflammatory mediators and pathways, barrier integrity and gut microbiota composition. The extensive metabolism undergone by flavonoids in humans and the individual differences in their bioavailability to target organs hinder the interpretation of results from cell and animal models. Prospective human studies therefore provide an important perspective. In the field of neurodegenerative disease, carefully designed cohort studies have uncovered important associations between flavonoid intake and reduction in dementia risk, especially regarding specific flavonols, but also anthocyanins. Alternative mechanisms of action, such as changes in the gut microbiota or modulation of the production of toxic proteins, such as amyloid and tau, likely account for an important component of their positive effects, and their elucidation may lead to public health benefits of large magnitude.

黄酮类化合物常见于水果、蔬菜和植物源性食物中，当包含在饮食中时可能会促进各种健康益处。黄酮类化合物的生物活性通常与其有效的抗氧化和抗炎作用有关，因为氧化应激与糖尿病、肥胖、心血管和神经退行性疾病等疾病有关。此外，黄酮类化合物可能通过其对炎症介质和途径、屏障完整性和肠道微生物群组成的影响与代谢疾病有关。类黄酮在人体中经历的广泛代谢及其对靶器官的生物利用度的个体差异阻碍了对细胞和动物模型结果的解释。因此，前瞻性人类研究提供了一个重要的视角。在神经退行性疾病领域，精心设计的队列研究揭示了类黄酮摄入与痴呆风险降低之间的重要关联，特别是在特定黄酮醇和花青素方面。替代作用机制，例如肠道微生物群的变化或调节有毒蛋白质（如淀粉样蛋白和 tau）的产生，可能是其积极作用的重要组成部分，而阐明它们可能会带来巨大的公共健康益处.