Orange and grapefruit can reduce the risk of stroke

Scientists believe that grapefruits and oranges can protect the body from the risk of stroke due to their antioxidant properties.

Nutrition is one of the most important factors that influence the development of the body and maintaining a healthy well being. Insufficient or excessive nutrition has a detrimental effect on the development of chronic diseases and reduces the body's resistance to unfavorable factors. In various studies, scientists repeatedly drew attention to the importance of good nutrition and the effect of a balanced diet on the condition of the body. Consequently, vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs are the source of essential vitamins for the human body, namely organic acid, pectins. They are rich in fiber and therefore regulate the activity of the intestine.

In the course of research of diseases of the cardiovascular system, scientists studied the degree of influence of citrus fruits on the vessels. The results showed that citrus fruits are useful for stroke prevention due to their antioxidant properties.

The study involved more than 70,000 women aged between 30-55 years living in the United States. All of them filled in questionnaires to record information on the regime and diet, foods that they most commonly consume. Every 2 years, the participants underwent an additional examination, which considered any changes in both diet and the body as a whole. The monitoring and data captured has been conducted for more than 14 years and throughout the period all stroke cases or other vascular diseases were also recorded. Six major subclasses of flavonoids and the degree of their influence on the cardiovascular system were subjected to special control.

Once the scientists have completed the experiment, they found that the women who regularly consumed flavonoids had significantly reduced the risk of developing ischemic stroke (by 19%). It was noted that not only citrus fruit, but also berries, onions, green tea, sea buckthorn are a good source of flavonoids. According to scientists, flavonoids provide a kind of protection by improving the function of blood vessels and having an anti-inflammatory effect. For example, one glass of orange juice contains from 20 to 50 mg of flavonoids, depending on the treatment and storage conditions. In addition, a greater content of flavonoids can be found in oranges and orange juice (82%), as compared to grapefruit (14%).

The results also showed that were about 1,803 stroke cases among 70,000 women (52% ischemic, 14% hemorrhagic) over 14 years of the experiment. The average number of consumed flavonoids was 232 mg per day. The main sources were oranges and orange juice, tea, apples.

Thus, this study once again emphasizes the importance of good healthy nutrition for the regular functioning of the body.

Here you can also read other articles on this topic:

• Usefulness of fat-free dairy products
• Antithrombotic drugs
• Predictive test

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