In Health Defence, I reviewed the evidence that flavonoids, also sometimes known collectively as Vitamin P, rank among the most health-protective micronutrients yet discovered. Powerful antioxidants, antiinflammatory agents and anti-glycosylants, they are the key ingredients in herbal medicines used to treat conditions as diverse as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, asthma and heart disease. Now, 18 months after publication, comes a new study, carried out in Finland, which shows how critical this group of compounds really are to our long-term health.

The study, which looked at the health prospects of over 10,000 men and women, showed that those who ate a diet high in flavonoids from fruit and vegetables were significantly less likely to die of degenerative diseases including heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, prostate cancer, asthma and Type 2 diabetes. The moral is, if you want to stay healthier for longer, increase your intake of flavonoids.