n this post, we’ll discuss what is cyanidin, some of the latest research related to cyanidin and health, and rank cyanidin rich foods.
Health organizations do not yet provide any statements regarding the health effects of cyanidin or provide a recommended dietary intake value. Nevertheless, there exists a growing body of evidence that suggests cyanidin may be a useful compound present in food for maintaining good health.
Cyanidin and Health
Cyanidin is a polyphenol found in relatively larger concentrations in certain plants. Particularly, they tend to be high in berries and a few other fruits.
Flavanoids are a class of polyphenols (compounds with a particular chemical structure) that have begun to accumulate research expounding their potential virtues towards good health.
And cyanidin is a type of anthocyanidin, a type of flavonoid.
Anthocyanidins, like cyanidin, are often the blue, red, or purple pigments found in fruits, flowers, and some vegetables. Some other anthocyanidins include petunidin, delphinidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, and peonidin.
Polyphenols have shown promise as a chemo-protective. In other words, epidemiological studies have shown that polyphenols may help reduce your risk of developing cancer.
Some areas where anthocyanidins specifically appear to provide benefit pertains to cardiovascular disease.
The biochemical mechanism by which cyanidin may reduce these risk factors is not yet clear. However, several in vitro studies have suggested that interference with the inflammatory process and endothelial dysfunction may play important roles.
So although more research needs to determine what, if any, are the true merits of this particular flavonoid, cyanidin has shown great promise as a natural compound found in a variety of healthy foods that may help combat several of the major chronic diseases we face today.
Cyanidin Rich Foods
Cyanidin rich foods are primarily fruits. However, some vegetables also contain cyanidin, too.
Using the USDA Food Database, we have compiled data from all of the fruits and vegetables that contain information about polyphenol concentration.
We ranked all 26 foods that contain cyanidin by cyanidin density. In other words, the foods with the highest concentration of cyanidin per calorie are shown below ranked as the orange shaded portion.
We also include the cyanidin content as mg/100g, shown as green (vegetable), blue (fruits), or orange (nuts) bars.
Please use our interactive graph to sort or see where your favorite falls on the list of cyanidin rich foods!
Cyanidin Rich Fruits
Except for red cabbage, radicchio, and red leaf lettuce (all containing reddish coloring), most cyanidin-rich foods are fruits. Berries are particularly dense.
Here are the top 10 most cyanidin-dense fruits.
Cyanidin in Food for Health
Cyanidin, like other flavonoids, are showing promise as compounds beneficial for health and reducing your risk of several chronic diseases. You’ll want to pay attention to new research that emerges on these compounds.
See what fruits and vegetables are dense in other flavanoids like quercetin or kaempferol!