Eating Citrus Fruits Can Help Prevent Obesity-Related Diseases

The AHA! Team — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 08:49:15 +0000

Dena Schmidt via NaturalHealth365 – While it’s been known that citrus fruit is an important part of a healthy diet, researchers now believe they may be key in preventing weight-related health problems. A new study has shown that citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes contain an antioxidant that counteracts some of the serious health risks of obesity. Adding more citrus fruits to your diet may help reduce the risk of heart disease, liver disease, and diabetes. These fruits also provide essential vitamins and minerals that support overall well-being and boost the immune system. Why citrus fruits are a smart choice for the immune system When a person consumes a high-fat diet, the body stores the fat it can’t immediately use in cells throughout the body. These fat cells produce a substance that damages other healthy cells. This is called oxidative stress, and the immune system normally deals with it with its own antioxidants. However, overweight people who continue to eat high-fat foods can overwhelm the immune system’s ability to respond and prevent disease. This is where foods that contain high levels of antioxidants can help. Citrus fruit contains a special form of antioxidant called flavanones. These substances appear to reduce the risk of oxidative stress and damage to healthy cells. This also takes the pressure off the overworked immune system. Flavanones in citrus fruits reduce a variety of health risks The study published in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN highlights the broad health benefits of citrus, revealing their potential in managing cardiovascular risk factors, neurological disorders, and other health conditions through their rich chemical composition and therapeutic properties. The researchers reviewed meta-analyses, clinical trials, and the chemical compounds present in various citrus species. They utilized information from databases like Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed, examining keywords related to citrus and its health benefits. They found that citrus plants have beneficial effects on various conditions, including cancer risks, cardiovascular risk factors, neurological disorders, urinary tract conditions, and gastrointestinal tract conditions. The study also noted the antimicrobial, and pain-alleviating effects of citrus and its potential in managing obesity risk factors. Another study investigated the impact of citrus flavanones on different dietary groups, including those on a high-fat diet. It found that flavanone consumption led to a significant reduction in indicators of cell damage in both blood and liver, surpassing a 50% reduction in some cases. Furthermore, flavanone-treated subjects showed less liver damage and fat accumulation. Start adding organic citrus fruit to the diet to prevent disease Adding flavanones to the diet promotes health by counteracting the effects of fat cells on the body. Eating citrus fruits helps reduce liver damage, lower the amount of fat in the blood, and reduce glucose levels. Besides the benefits of antioxidants to the health of overweight people, a diet that includes citrus fruit can benefit people of any weight, reducing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. We, at NaturalHealth365, would suggest you only eat organic fruits to avoid unwanted chemicals in your diet. The next step involves exploring optimal ways to incorporate concentrated flavanones into daily diets. Flavanones found abundantly in organic citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes, offer a promising natural strategy to combat heart and liver diseases. To maximize their benefits, consider consuming various citrus fruits and vegetables daily. Incorporating colorful salads, citrus-infused water, or enjoying citrus fruits as snacks can enhance your intake of these beneficial compounds. Additionally, pairing citrus fruits with leafy greens can further boost their nutritional impact. Bottom line: making citrus fruits a regular part of your diet can support overall health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov ACS.org Sciencedaily.com To read the original article click here.

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Slash Your Risk of Cancer by Eating More of This Type of Fruit, According to Research

AHA Publisher — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 08:50:04 +0000

Sara Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 125 men and 1 in 417 women will be diagnosed with esophageal cancer. While smoking significantly increases the risk of this potentially deadly disease – which has a 5-year survival rate of less than 50 percent – even people who have never smoked can develop it, especially if they drink a lot of alcohol, have a family history, have chronic acid reflux, or have other recognized risk factors. While esophageal cancer accounts for just 1 percent of all U.S. cancer cases, you still might be wondering how to reduce your cancer risk for this and other conditions. The good news? Protecting your health might involve something as sweet (and delicious) as simply eating more citrus fruit. Eating citrus fruits may LOWER your risk of cancer by nearly 40 percent Eating more oranges, clementines, grapefruits, tangerines, and other citruses may “significantly reduce [your] risk of esophageal cancer,” concluded the authors of a 2015 meta-analysis published in the peer-reviewed journal Medicine. To come to this conclusion, the team of researchers assessed data from 19 studies looking at the link between esophageal cancer and intake of citrus fruits. By design, these studies (cohort and case-control) cannot be used to prove causation, but they are able to clarify the correlation between these two factors. Specifically, it was determined that there was a significantly reduced esophageal cancer risk in people who reported eating more citrus fruits. The researchers’ statistical analysis revealed an odds ratio of 0.63. Odds ratio is used to measure the relationship between exposure to a given variable (e.g., citrus intake) and a given outcome (esophageal cancer). In this case, an odds ratio of 0.63 means that the group who reported the highest level of citrus fruit intake had only 63% of the chances of developing esophageal cancer compared to people who report the lowest amount of citrus fruit. In other words, they were about 37 percent LESS likely to develop the deadly disease. This research is corroborated by plenty of other studies, by the way, including one paper published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention which found that a high intake of green veggies in addition to citrus fruits was also cancer-protective. Citrus fruit has also been shown to reduce the risk of other types of cancer as well, including cancers of the prostate, breast, and pancreas. Here are 3 key cancer-fighting plant properties in citrus fruits, according to science Why is citrus so stellar for fighting cancer? Like other brightly colored plant foods (including green, yellow, orange, and red fruits and veggies), citrus fruits contain at least three bioactive compounds shown to offer health benefits. These include: Beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A and a powerful antioxidant that has also been shown to reduce the risk of a condition known as Barrett’s esophagus (precancerous damage to the lower portion of the esophagus, typically caused by chronic acid reflux) Vitamin C: A varsity-level immune supporter, vitamin C is involved in a number of physiological functions in the body and protects your cells against free radicals and inflammation Folate: an essential B vitamin, folate (or folic acid when in supplement form) is noted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietieics as possibly protective against pancreatic, esophageal, and colorectal cancers, thanks in parts to its ability to make DNA and repair cells The takeaway: Add citrus fruits into your weekly dietary rotation! Enjoy as snacks or topped over green salads. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov, NIH.gov, NIH.gov, Acacemic.oup.com, Cancer.net, Cancer.org, Cancer.org, Myfooddata.com, UW.edu, MSKCC.org, Oncologynutrition.org To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

The post Slash Your Risk of Cancer by Eating More of This Type of Fruit, According to Research appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

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Eating Citrus Fruits Can Help Prevent Obesity-Related Diseases

Slash Your Risk of Cancer by Eating More of This Type of Fruit, According to Research