“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
We all know the old saying, but maybe it’s time for a change of fruit.
Research published in the journal Stroke has me thinking we should revise it to, “An orange a day keeps the doctor away.”
At least for women, that is.
Slash stroke risk 19% with citrus fruit
According to the research, eating high amounts of oranges and grapefruit may help women avoid stroke. Women who ate a lot of citrus fruit had a 19 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke than women who consumed the least amount.
The secret is a certain flavonoid in citrus: flavonones.
Researchers pored over 14 years of follow-up data from a study of 69,622 women who reported their food intake. They found that, while flavonoids in general didn’t have much of a connection to stroke risk, the sub-class flavonones did. The consumption of the flavonones came mostly from oranges and orange juice (82 percent) and grapefruits and grapefruit juice (14 percent).
Though juices can be a good source of flavonones, they also contain a lot of sugar. So if you want to take advantage of this finding, you’ll want to do so by eating more oranges and grapefruits rather than drinking their juices.
This study confirms a previous finding that citrus, but not other fruits, protected against ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage.
“I don’t know about you, but I know what’s going on my grocery list!
Ms. O’Brien has written for Nutrition & Healing, Healthier Talk and a variety of other natural and alternative health outlets. She believes in the power of natural medicine and her goal is to open people’s eyes to the benefits of alternative and integrative medicine.
Christine is passionate about helping people help themselves without having to turn to harsh drugs or invasive surgeries.
Latest posts by Christine O'Brien (see all)
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