Background Information On June 27, 2010, the International Symposium on New Advances in Phytochemicals and Human Health Research was held in Beijing, jointly sponsored by the International Union of Nutritional and Dietary Supplement Associations and the Food Toxicology Committee of the Chinese Society of Toxicology. Professor Chen Junshi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Professor Peter Agate of the University of Central Lancashire, UK, were the co-chairs of the conference. Audra Davis, Director of Nutrition Product Research and Development of Nutraceutical Research Center, was invited to deliver a wonderful speech as the primary presentation expert of the conference. In addition, other experts from USA, Germany and China also gave in-depth presentations on carotenoids, flavonoids and the synergy between various plant components. The conference attracted more than 300 experts and scholars from home and abroad, who shared their views on the latest research results of phytochemicals and phytonutrients. Among them, the beneficial effects of flavonoids introduced by Prof. Jeffrey Blumberg from the Fried School of Nutrition Science and Policy of Tufts University in the United States drew wide attention from the participants. Flavonoids are a large family of phenolic compounds consisting of more than 5,000 plant components and their metabolites. These include the familiar anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, isoflavones brassicas, xanthones, brassica intoxicants, catechols, etc. The main mechanism of action of flavonoids in vivo is to affect human cell signaling pathways and gene expression, and most plant flavonoids have strong free radical scavenging ability in vitro. The bioactive forms of flavonoids are mainly the metabolites of some enzymes, but not the glycosides that exist in the plant itself. Dietary sources of flavonoids include soy and soy protein isolates, citrus extracts, grape seeds, kudzu, and nuts. TIPS: See what SCI journals say SCI is the acronym for Science Citation Index. It includes more than 3,700 core journals in mathematics, physics, medicine and other natural science disciplines published around the world, and the SCI includes a comprehensive coverage of the most important and influential research results worldwide. In this article, we will introduce some of the articles related to flavonoids published in foreign SCI journals to see how SCI journals focus on flavonoids. The SCI journals covered in this article include: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, European Journal of Menopause, Phytotherapy Research, Clinical Follow-Up Science, and British Journal of Nutrition. Improving cardiovascular health Studies have shown that the consumption of flavonoid-rich foods may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The cardiovascular protective mechanisms of flavonoids include upregulation of endothelial nitric oxide and enzymes in healthy adults and patients with cardiovascular disease, inhibition of postprandial activation of nuclear transcription factors, maintenance of plasma antioxidant defenses, and reduction in the risk of LDL oxidation. In addition, flavonoids reduce pathological changes in vascular smooth muscle and help reduce vascular in atherogenic plaque formation as well as vascular endothelial proliferation. A 2008 article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that long-term intake of flavonoids and flavonoid-rich foods can help reduce systolic blood pressure by 1.15 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 0.9 mm Hg. In particular, soy protein isolate helped lower diastolic blood pressure by 1.99 mm Hg. LDL cholesterol was lowered by 0.19 mmol/L and green tea helped lower LDL cholesterol by 0.23 mmol/L. In 2010, the European Journal of Menopause published an article stating that flavonoids from soy, soy, grape seeds, nuts and other foods can lower blood pressure and blood lipids. They are also useful in improving metabolic syndrome and reducing damage to vascular endothelial function. Flavonoid mechanisms of action include seeing oxidation, improving visceral blood transport, blocking fatty acid release and synthesis, and increasing insulin sensitivity. Cognitive improvement The cognitive improvement effect of flavonoids is also supported by several clinical studies, particularly in executive function, working memory and other memory functions, and in areas such as processing speed. The mechanisms of neuroprotective effects of flavonoids include reduction of neurotoxin-induced damage, inhibition of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, and regulation of the expression of survival-promoting transcription factors and genes. Thus, flavonoids help to counteract memory loss due to normal aging and neurodegeneration due to Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia and Parkinson’s disease. In a study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology in 2008 on the intake of flavonoid extracts, 101 older adults aged 60-85 years were divided into 2 groups, with one group consuming 150 mg of flavonoid extracts per day for 3 months and the other group receiving a placebo of the same appearance, resulting in improved spatial working memory and improved working memory quality index in the older adults taking flavonoid extracts compared to controls. At the same time, the concentration of peroxisomes was lower in the modified group than in the control group. In 2008, the British Journal of Phytotherapy Research published another population study42 of men aged 50-65 years in 2 groups, one with flavonoid extract plus vitamin C and the other with vitamin C only, for a 5-week treatment period. The results showed that subjects who consumed the flavonoid extract plus vitamin C had better performance on spatial working memory and timely recognition tests than those who consumed only vitamin C. Improved eye health In 2010, the British Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology published a clinical study: 79 patients with no apparent symptoms of high intraocular pressure were divided into three groups. One group took plant extracts such as lingonberry (rich in flavonoids), another group used only eye drops, and a third group used extracts plus eye drops for a total of 24 weeks. The results showed that subjects using both extracts plus eye drops had a decrease in intraocular pressure from 38.0 mm Hg to 27.3 mm Hg at 4 weeks and a further decrease to 24.2 mm Hg and 23.0 mm Hg at 6 weeks and 24 weeks. Potential Role in Reducing Cancer Risk The potential role of flavonoids in reducing cancer risk is still under investigation, and some animal-based studies have shown that flavonoids may reduce the number of chemically induced tumors. The mechanisms of cancer inhibition by flavonoids include regulation of cytochrome P450 enzymes to prevent cancer-causing activation, and increased expression of certain carcinogenic substances to promote excretion. Acting as an antioxidant The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine’s Expert Panel on Dietary Antioxidants and Related Compounds states that antioxidants are present in the human diet to reduce the adverse effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive oxygen species clusters (RNS) in the body. There are factors inside and outside the human body that contribute to free radical formations. Extrinsic factors such as smoking, ionizing radiation, excessive UV exposure, air pollution: intrinsic factors such as mitochondrial metabolism, cellular inflammatory response, etc. All of the above factors can lead into increased free radical formation. And excess free radicals can cause DNA damage. The body’s antioxidant defense consists of a combination of endogenous and exogenous substances. The exogenous ones include dietary vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids and polyphenolic components such as flavonoids: these substances together with catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutamine, ubiquinone, copper blue protein, ferritin and other substances in the human body form the antioxidant defense network to protect the body against oxidative damage. In 2010, a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that total antioxidant capacity in the blood of healthy adults was enhanced and DNA damage in some cells in the blood was reduced within a few hours of consuming foods rich in polyphenols and catechols. In conclusion, the papers published in SCI journals show that flavonoids are beneficial to the mind and body and deserve more attention. One can start by increasing dietary intake of common foods such as metropolitan, nuts, citrus, etc. and, if necessary, enhance individual needs for flavonoids with the help of flavonoid-rich dietary supplements.