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Tangerine Peels May Lower Cholesterol
May 12, 2004 -- Tangerine peels have more potent health benefits than the juice and could have powerful cholesterol-lowering potential, a new study shows.
Previous studies have shown numerous health benefits from drinking citrus juices like orange and grapefruit juice -- including their anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. Studies have also hinted at a cholesterol-lowering capability in juices.
But disease-fighting flavonoids -- antioxidants found in foods -- are packed in higher concentrations in citrus peels than in juice, writes lead researcher Elzbieta M. Kurowska, PhD, with KGK Synergize Inc., in London, Ontario. Her study appears in the current issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
A few researchers, including Kurowska, have examined flavonoids found in citrus peels. The compounds, known to researchers as polymethoxylated flavonoids, are similar to plant pigment antioxidants found in citrus fruits.
The most common of these super-flavonoids -- tangeretin and nobiletin -- exist in orange and tangerine peels, and in smaller amounts in the fruits' juices, explains Kurowska.
Previous animal studies have shown that similar flavonoids -- herperidin from oranges and naringin from grapefruit -- may have cholesterol-lowering ability. However, those flavonoids are not as potent as the super-flavonoids, she says.
Hers is the first study looking at the super-flavonoids' cholesterol-lowering potential, she writes.
"Our study has shown that [super-flavonoids] have the most potent cholesterol-lowering effect of any other citrus flavonoid," says Kurowska in a news release. "We believe that [super-flavonoids] have the potential to rival or even beat the cholesterol-lowering effect of some prescription drugs, without the risk of side effects."
Taking super-flavonoid supplements could be an easier way to lower cholesterol than drinking 20 or more cups of juice daily -- the equivalent of the peel's amount of flavonoids, she says.
Save the Peel
Kurowska's study focuses on the super-flavonoids tangeretin and nobiletin found in tangerines. In the study, she fed hamsters a cholesterol-boosting diet -- the hamsters' LDL (bad) cholesterol levels jumped about 40%. Then, she fed hamsters with either a tangeretin supplement, a tangeretin/nobiletin mixture, or a commercially available tangerine flavonoid supplement.
Eureka! The hamsters benefited from all the tangeretin and nobiletin flavonoids. Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were significantly reduced -- without altering the HDL "good" cholesterol level, writes Kurowska.
Even much smaller amounts of the two flavonoids helped cholesterol significantly, she writes.
In fact, the peel flavonoids had three times higher cholesterol-lowering power than the juice, she writes. Her earlier studies have shown similar potential for peels.
These peel-derived compounds are more concentrated and easily absorbed and metabolized, she writes.
A long-term study involving humans is in progress to test the supplements' ability to lower cholesterol, Kurowska reports.
SOURCE: Kurowska, E. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, May 12, 2004.
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Congratulations! Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, and your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is optimal.
Congratulations! Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, and your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is near optimal.
Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is borderline high. If your LDL goes higher, your total cholesterol level could become Borderline High. Consider reducing the amount of foods you eat with saturated fats and increasing physical activity. If you get more exercise, your level of "good" HDL cholesterol may increase, which could also help to keep your levels of LDL and total cholesterol in check.
Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is High. This may mean that your level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol, is too low. It is best to have a high level of "good" HDL and a low level of "bad" LDL. The HDL helps keep your LDL level in check. Ask your doctor for your HDL level. If your HDL is low, increasing your physical activity can increase it, which may help reduce your LDL level.
Your total cholesterol level is in the Desirable range, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Very High. This may mean that your level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol, is too low. It is best to have a high level of "good" HDL and a low level of "bad" LDL because the HDL helps keep your LDL level in check. Ask your doctor for your HDL level. If your HDL is low, increasing your physical activity can increase it, which may help reduce your LDL level.
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High, but fortunately your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have other non-measured increases in LDL-like particles that can increase heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High, but fortunately your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is near optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have other non-measured increases in LDL-like particles that can increase heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Borderline High, too. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol level is Borderline High. But your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Very High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol is High, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have elevated secondary lipids, such as non-HDL particles that increase the risk of heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol is High, but your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is near optimal. This could mean you have a high level of high-density lipoprotein, or "good" HDL cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. Or you could have elevated secondary lipids, such as non-HDL particles that increase the risk of heart disease. Your LDL level also could be optimal if you are taking a statin medication. Please check with your doctor to get your complete lipid profile and see if you may need additional treatment. In the meantime, find more information on WebMD's Cholesterol Health Center.
Your total cholesterol level is High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Borderline High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels!
Your total cholesterol level is High. Your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is High, too. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels! If you are struggling to bring down your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, your doctor may prescribe medication, such as statins. Following medication, dietary, and exercise instructions should result in improvements.
Your total cholesterol level is High, and your level of "bad" LDL cholesterol is Very High. Working to bring down your total cholesterol decreases your LDL cholesterol level. You can do this by exercising more and eating less food with saturated fats. Check food labels! If you are struggling to bring down your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, your doctor may prescribe statins or other cholesterol-lowering medications.
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