Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables aren’t just great for an aesthetic snap of your trip to the farmers’ market they’re also excellent sources of flavonoids – chemical structures with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
“As long as you are incorporating fruits and vegetables into your meals and snacks, you will be consuming flavonoids,” says registered dietician Jasmine Hormati. “If you’re able to include a variety of fruits and vegetables, even better.”
If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration ahead of your next big shop, here are 10 foods that are especially rich in flavonoids.
What are flavonoids?
“Flavonoids are natural chemical structures found in vegetables, fruits, beans, wine and more,” explains Hormati. There are different subgroups of flavonoids based on chemical composition and structure, such as flavones, flavonols, isoflavones, flavanols, anthocyanins, and catechins, she adds. More broadly, flavonoids are a type of polyphenol that can help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.
What are the benefits of flavonoids?
A 2016 scientific review of flavonoids reported that they have “anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, and anti-carcinogenic properties”. As antioxidants, flavonoids neutralise free radicals (which are unstable atoms or molecules in the body that can cause oxidative stress). By reducing oxidative stress, flavonoids have been linked to the prevention of cardiovascular disease and to potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, per a 2022 scientific review.
In addition, the flavonoid quercetin has been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, while others have been found to improve the immune system.
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10 foods rich in flavonoids
Across the board, berries are fantastic sources of flavonoids. Blackberries, blueberries, cranberries and cherries (more on those later) all contain more than 80mg of anthocyanidins per 100g in addition to other types of flavonoids.
This unassuming herb contains high levels of the flavone apigenin. It’s also a good source of vitamins C, A and K, to help with collagen synthesis, your immune system, bone strength and more.
The journal Pharmaceuticals reports that capers (a common ingredient in salads and pasta dishes) have an impressive 180.7mg of the flavonol quercetin per 100g.
Red cabbage gets its deep purple colour from an anthocyanin called cyanidin, according to a 2004 study, which makes it a more valuable source of flavonoids than green cabbage. That’s not the only benefit, though; raw red cabbage also has 53.9mg of vitamin C per 100g, the USDA reports.
A 2025 study reported that red onions “contain the highest levels of quercetin, primarily in their outer layers”. It also noted that Tropea red onions, specifically those from Calabria, Italy, “are particularly rich in anthocyanins, flavonoids (especially quercetin), and phenolic compounds, offering superior antioxidant properties and potential cardiovascular benefits”.
A 2019 study reported that both green and black tea are high in flavonoids, but green tea contains more catechins. And don’t worry, matcha fans, a 2020 study found that it’s a rich source of flavonoids, too.
Both sweet and tart cherries are great sources of anthocyanidins and catechins. The Cleveland Clinic notes they’re also packed with other antioxidants, including vitamins A, C and E.
“Citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons are rich in flavanones,” Hormati says. Flavanones are especially known for “their free radical-scavenging properties”, the 2016 review notes, adding that citrus flavonoids are known not only for being antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, but also for lowering cholesterol and blood lipid levels.
Apples are rich in catechins and flavonols, like quercetin. But be sure to eat the peel, too, as a 2004 study found they “may have higher antioxidant activity and higher bioactivity than the apple flesh”.
Next time you reach for a glass of wine, consider choosing a red over a white. A 2012 scientific review found that red wine is a rich source of flavonols and contains five types of anthocyanidins. However, it’s important to caveat that alcohol is still a carcinogenic neurotoxin, so if you choose to enjoy, do so responsibly and in moderation.
