Hesperidin
Hesperidin is the signature flavonoid of the orange, a flavanone found chiefly in the white pith and segment walls of citrus fruit. It is the compound
22 June 2026
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Hesperidin is the signature flavonoid of the orange, a flavanone found chiefly in the white pith and segment walls of citrus fruit. It is the compound
Betalains are the vivid red-violet and yellow pigments that give beetroot its dramatic colour, staining a chopping board and famously tinting the plate. This unusual family
Gingerol is the warming, peppery compound that gives fresh ginger its characteristic heat and much of its renown as a folk remedy. Chemically a cousin of
Allicin is the pungent compound that gives freshly crushed garlic its unmistakable bite. Curiously, it does not exist in the intact clove at all; it is
Lycopene is the carotenoid behind the deep red of a ripe tomato, and one of the most efficient antioxidants in the plant kingdom. Unusually, it becomes
Lutein and zeaxanthin are the two yellow carotenoids that the body channels straight to the eye, concentrating them in the macula at the very centre of
Flavan-3-ols are a family of flavonoids, the catechins and epicatechins that give cocoa, tea and many fruits their gentle astringency. They have become some of the
Ellagic acid is a polyphenol prized for its antioxidant strength, found above all in berries and certain nuts. In whole foods it is often bound up
Pectin is a soluble fibre found in the cell walls of fruit and vegetables, the very substance that sets a jar of homemade jam. In the
Inulin is a prebiotic fibre, a chain of fructose units that the body cannot break down but that gut bacteria adore. Stored by plants as an
Resistant starch is the maverick of the carbohydrate world: a starch that slips past digestion in the small intestine and arrives, intact, in the colon where
Beta-carotene is the vivid orange-red pigment behind carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin and red peppers, and it lends its colour to dark leafy greens too, where chlorophyll