Citrus Bioflavonoids: How They Support Longevity, Metabolic Health & More*

Citrus bioflavonoids are a unique set of phytochemicals—meaning, they're compounds produced by plants. While vitamin C is a micronutrient found in citrus fruits, citrus bioflavonoids are phytonutrients also found in citrus fruits, says functional medicine nutritionist Brooke Scheller, DCN. "This is a class of antioxidant compounds that include some familiar ones, like quercetin," she explains. 

Citrus bioflavonoids can be found in the pulp of citrus fruits, but "they're more abundant in the rind," notes Jamie Alan, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University. 

They also show up in some specialized vitamin C supplements as bioactives that complement vitamin C and help protect it from oxidation.* 

Citrus bioflavonoids aren't just a complement to vitamin C that enhance the antioxidant's health benefits (though they do an incredible job of helping buffer C from oxidation1)—they have their own things going on as well.*

A review published by Current Opinion in Lipidology found that citrus bioflavonoids promote anti-inflammatory activity2 in certain tissues linked to metabolism—including the liver, adipose tissue, kidneys, and your aorta, (i.e., the main artery that carries blood away from your heart to the rest of your body).* 

Citrus bioflavonoids have known anti-inflammatory properties3 and help combat free radicals.* Antioxidants like citrus bioflavonoids will "round up and neutralize the free radicals,"* Alan says.

In fact, an animal study published by BMC Pharmacology and Toxicology specifically linked the citrus bioflavonoid hesperidin to lower levels of oxidative stress4 (i.e., a healthy balance between antioxidants and free radicals).*

"Antioxidants help protect our cells and improve their function, which promotes anti-inflammatory actions in the body and supports immune health5,"* Scheller says.

Additionally, citrus bioflavonoids can bolster gastrointestinal functioning and health.* And, as we know, a healthy gut is crucial to a well-functioning immune system.* This relationship can, in turn, affect the whole body. 

Normal glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity are pivotal aspects of endocrine and metabolic health. According to a review published in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, citrus bioflavonoids can help bolster both of those areas6.* 

Citrus bioflavonoids have been used to help foster healthy aging and longevity, and research supports that.* 

In one lab study7 published by Molecules, researchers analyzed the impact of the citrus bioflavonoid neohesperidin on yeast and found it decreased the buildup of reactive oxygen species7 (ROS) in the yeast.* Li links this to citrus bioflavonoids' hallmark ability to fight oxidative stress.*  

Citrus bioflavonoids are found in citrus fruits, some specialized supplements, and personal care products—such as serums and other topical skin care products. 

"The compounds can work topically, but they probably work better if you actually ingest them," Li explains. "It's beauty from the inside out."* 

Li recommends getting your citrus bioflavonoids from fruit because the more plants we consume, the better. "Often, these compounds work well with other things as they coexist in nature," she explains. That means eating plenty of citrus fruits like oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, and grapefruits. 

Citrus bioflavonoids are antioxidants that don't get a lot of attention. Despite their obscurity, these unsung heroes can help support the many roles vitamin C plays in your body and have incredible benefits of their own.* 

In addition to eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables for an array of phytonutrients, a guaranteed and potent dose of citrus bioflavonoids from a quality supplement can be a complementary approach.