Author Question: Discuss the health benefits and food sources of flavonoids. What will be an ideal ... (Read 54 times)

rl

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Discuss the health benefits and food sources of flavonoids.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Discuss the effects of lead exposure on health and human performance.
 
  What will be an ideal response?



kmb352

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Answer to Question 1

Flavonoids, a large group of phytochemicals known for their healthpromoting qualities, are found in whole grains, legumes, soy, vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices, teas, chocolate, nuts, olive oil, and red wines. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that may help to protect LDL cholesterol against oxidation, minimize inflammation, and reduce blood platelet stickiness, thereby slowing the progression of atherosclerosis and making blood clots less likely. Whereas an abundance of flavonoidcontaining foods in the diet may lower the risks of chronic diseases, no claims can be made for flavonoids themselves as the protective factor, particularly when they are extracted from foods and sold as supplements. In fact, purified flavonoids may even be harmful.

Answer to Question 2

Chemically similar to nutrient minerals such as iron, calcium, and zinc (cations with two positive charges), lead displaces them from some of the metabolic sites they normally occupy so they are then unable to perform their roles. For example, lead competes with iron in heme, but it cannot carry oxygen. Similarly, lead competes with calcium in the brain, but it cannot signal messages from nerve cells. Excess lead in the blood also deranges the structure of red blood cell membranes, making them leaky and fragile. Lead interacts with white blood cells, too, impairing their ability to fight infection, and it binds to antibodies, thwarting their effort to resist disease.



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