Drinking orange juice every day can have a positive effect on your heart health
Orange juice, which is enjoyed by people of all ages, not only quenches thirst but also has been shown to have a variety of health benefits for the human body.
Your daily orange juice could be helping your heart
New research shows that regular consumption of orange juice affects the activity of thousands of genes in immune cells, many of which help control blood pressure, reduce inflammation and manage sugar metabolism, all of which have been shown to play important roles in long-term heart health.
In this study, participants drank 500ml of pasteurized orange juice daily for two months. After 60 days of orange juice consumption, the activity of many genes related to inflammation and high blood pressure was reduced.
Genes with decreased activity included NAMPT , IL-6 , IL-1β , and NLRP3 , which are normally activated when the body is under stress. Another gene, SGKI, which affects the kidney's ability to retain sodium (salt), also had decreased activity.
These changes are consistent with previous research showing that drinking orange juice daily lowers blood pressure in young adults , said David C. Gaze, senior lecturer in chemical pathology at the University of Westminster.
'These findings suggest that orange juice doesn't just raise blood sugar levels, but also induces small changes in the body's regulatory systems that reduce inflammation and relax blood vessels. This may explain why orange juice has been linked to improved heart health in multiple studies,' Gaze said.
Natural compounds found in oranges, particularly
It has also been confirmed that heavier people tend to have greater changes in genes involved in fat metabolism, while leaner people are more susceptible to inflammation.
Building on previous research, a controlled trial of 639 subjects also found that regular consumption of orange juice reduced insulin resistance and blood cholesterol levels, both of which are important characteristics of prediabetes, and high cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease.
Another analysis of overweight and obese adults found that consuming orange juice daily for several weeks slightly reduced systolic blood pressure and increased high-density lipoprotein, or 'good' cholesterol. While these changes were small, 'even small improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol can make a big difference if maintained over many years,' Gaze notes.
Additionally,
Drinking blood orange juice for one month consistently was shown to increase the number of gut bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids, and participants also experienced improved blood sugar control and reduced inflammatory markers.
Additionally, people with metabolic syndrome may particularly benefit from orange juice. A study of 68 obese participants who drank orange juice daily showed improved function of the inner walls of blood vessels (endothelial function). Endothelial function determines how well blood vessels relax and dilate, and improved function is associated with a lower risk of heart attack.
However, not all studies report the same results. A broader analysis of blood fat levels shows that drinking orange juice often lowers levels of low-density lipoprotein, also known as bad cholesterol, but doesn't significantly change other lipid measures, such as triglycerides or high-density lipoprotein.
A study of 129 workers at a Brazilian orange juice factory reported lower blood levels of apolipoprotein B, a marker that reflects the number of cholesterol-carrying particles associated with heart attack risk.
While eating whole oranges remains a better option than drinking orange juice because the flesh is richer in fiber than the juice, drinking moderate amounts of orange juice daily may, over time, reduce inflammation, improve blood flow, and improve several blood markers associated with long-term heart health.
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