10/16/2026
What are flavonoids and what do they do for horses?
🌱Flavonoids are plant-based compounds used in equine nutrition to manage inflammation, oxidative stress, and nervous system focus🌱
🌱Key benefits🌱
💫Antioxidant and Exercise Recovery: Flavonoids like quercetin help "quench" free radicals produced during and after intense physical exertion, reducing cell membrane and protein damage
💫Inflammatory Response: Research on daily oral quercetin shows it can boost anti-inflammatory cytokines (such as interleukin-10) in horses without suppressing normal immune function
💫Calming and Focus: Formulations utilizing flavonoids like rutin and apigenin—are natural, non-sedating alternatives to traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help anxious or spooky horses stay calm during hauling, shows, or vet visits.
💫 Additional Conditions: Studies suggest potential roles for flavonoids in supporting equine joint health, managing granulation tissue (proud flesh) with plant extracts like kaempferol, and acting as adjunctive support for conditions like lymphoedema
It is one reason Kelp is in ForagE+ Performance Horse Feed . Although alfalfa, beet pulp and flax are heavy in Flavonoids - Kelp contains a whole subset of flavonoids that only it can provide.
🌱Kelp🌱 provides:
💫(Catechins): Including compounds like catechin and epicatechin, which are strong free-radical scavengers
💫Essential compounds like quercetin, rutin, and kaempferol, which have been widely studied for their cellular protective qualities
💫Kelp also delivers accompanying phenolic compounds like p-coumaric acid and ellagic acid that enhance its overall antioxidant profile
⭐And phlorotannins. Found almost exclusively in brown seaweeds, phlorotannins are complex structural molecules that act as "supercharged" antioxidants, offering protective capabilities that work synergistically alongside its flavonoids
No need to buy pricey supplements for these- it's already in there. Not a single ingredient without specific purpose and benefits.
