By Fiona Callingham
Copyright dailyrecord
A popular fruit juice might help tackle two major health concerns, studies suggest. Roughly half the UK population is estimated to suffer from elevated cholesterol, whilst one in three people are thought to be dealing with raised blood pressure. Both conditions represent significant risk factors for life-threatening medical emergencies including strokes and heart attacks. Modifying your eating habits offers one approach to managing cholesterol and blood pressure readings . Reducing saturated fat consumption can help lower cholesterol , whilst cutting sodium intake may influence blood pressure. And research indicates that orange juice could potentially decrease both cholesterol readings and blood pressure. Studies published in the journal Lipids in Health and Disease during 2023 discovered that consuming two glasses of orange juice each day might lower cholesterol levels. The research involved 129 volunteers aged between 18 and 66 years. Among these participants, 41 per cent consumed two cups of orange juice, approximately 480ml in total, daily for a minimum of 12 months. After the trial period, researchers discovered that regular consumers of the beverage showed “significantly lower” total cholesterol readings. These findings remained consistent amongst individuals with both normal and elevated cholesterol levels. However, participants who didn’t maintain their daily orange juice consumption failed to achieve similar outcomes. A separate meta-analysis suggested that drinking orange juice could have beneficial effects on blood low-density lipoprotein (“bad” cholesterol) levels. However, the research, which analysed nine studies, found no significant effects on total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (“good” cholesterol) serum levels. In terms of blood pressure, a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition in 2021 showed that participants who drank orange juice over a 12-week period experienced reduced blood pressure. The authors of the study wrote: “Hesperidin in orange juice reduces systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure after sustained consumption, and after a single dose, the chronic consumption of hesperidin-enriched orange juice enhances its postprandial effect.” They added that “hesperidin-enriched orange juice could be a useful co-adjuvant tool for blood pressure and pulse pressure management in pre- and stage-1 hypertensive individuals.” Another study, published in the Arya Atherosclerosis journal in 2013, tested the impact of orange juice on blood pressure. It found that people who consumed orange juice over a 60-day period demonstrated a “significant” reduction in blood pressure, unlike other subjects. The study concluded: “Commercial citrus sinensis juice significantly decreased blood pressure. Higher flavonoid, pectin, and essential oils content of concentrated products compared to natural juice might have been responsible for this finding.” Nonetheless, bear in mind that orange juice contains approximately 24 grams of sugar per serving, a factor to consider if you’re diabetic or aiming to lose some weight. If you have worries about your cholesterol or blood pressure levels, you should to consult your doctor.
