Do you like oranges or OJ?
Maybe you prefer grapefruit.
Slice them, squeeze them or juice them. These citrus fruits pack a big nutritional punch, including Vitamin C and other potent antioxidants.
Now there is more good news for lovers of citrus. A new study has found that citrus fruits may help reduce the risk of stroke in women.
This researcher is from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School in Boston.
More Take a Bite Out of Stroke Risk
Kathryn M. Rexrode, MD, BWH Department of Medicine, and colleagues from the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom and the University of Bari, Italy conducted a prospective study of 69,622 women from data from the Nurses’ Health Study.
Kathryn Rexrode, MD
Based on questionnaires participants completed during 14 years of follow-up, the researchers were able to track stroke incidence and calculate flavonoid intake. Flavonoids are a type of antioxidant found in foods such as fruits, vegetables, and dark chocolate.
The researchers discovered that a particular sub-type of flavonoid called flavanone, which are abundant in citrus fruits, seemed to have a protective effect against stroke.
High consumption of citrus fruits and juices was associated with a 19 percent reduced risk of ischemic stroke (a type of stroke that happens when blood flow to the brain is blocked). Women who consumed the highest amount of flavanones had a lower risk of ischemic stroke compared to women with the lowest intake.
Participants’ main dietary sources of flavanones came from oranges and orange juice (82 percent), followed by grapefruit and grapefruit juice (14 percent).
The researchers note that in addition to flavanones, other components in citrus that may reduce stroke risk include vitamin C and potassium.
Despite the study’s praise for citrus fruits, the researchers caution that more work is still needed to confirm their findings. “I would certainly not recommend that anyone take flavanone supplements based on this research,” said Rexrode.
Learn: Olive Oil Benefits—Olive Oil Benefits for Stroke Risk
Also, people who take medications should be aware that some citrus fruits, specifically grapefruit, can dangerously interact with medicines.
To learn more about how medications can interact with foods and dietary supplements, check out the Pill Advised online tool.
The study was electronically published on February 23, 2012 in Stroke, a journal of the American Heart Association.
Reference:
Stroke. 2012 Apr;43(4):946-51. Epub 2012 Feb 23. “Dietary flavonoids and risk of stroke in women.” Cassidy A, Rimm EB, O’Reilly EJ, Logroscino G, Kay C, Chiuve SE, Rexrode KM.Department of Nutrition, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
This research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.
