Experts have found that the peels of citrus fruits contain a large amount of beneficial chemicals that help reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the human body.
Scientists in the United States conducted research using hamsters. They fed the hamsters a high-fat diet and then administered active ingredients extracted from orange and tangerine peels. The researchers discovered that these active ingredients lowered the levels of low-density cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) in the hamsters. It is generally believed that low-density cholesterol is closely linked to heart disease. The findings of this study were published in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry."
Antioxidants
The active ingredients in citrus fruits are called polymethoxylated flavones. These are a type of antioxidant and belong to a class of chemicals known as flavonoids. This substance is also found in other fruits and vegetables. Tea and red wine also contain certain amounts of it.
Dr. Kurovska, who led the research, stated that citrus fruit juices also contain beneficial flavonoids, but the amount in the peels is 20 times higher than in the juice. Furthermore, flavonoids from peels are more easily absorbed and can be utilized more conveniently by the body's organs. Research shows that if food includes 1% of polymethoxylated flavones, the cholesterol levels in animals can be reduced by 40%.
In the study, some other hamsters' food included two different types of flavonoids: hesperetin and naringenin. Experts found that these two flavonoids could also lower the amount of low-density cholesterol, but it took three times as long to achieve a similar effect. Previously, scientific studies had shown that juice can reduce the likelihood of cancer.