Eat citrus fruits to stay fit

Women, who regularly eat citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit, may have a lower risk of blood-clot related stroke, according to a US study published recently.

Women, who regularly eat citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit, may have a lower risk of blood-clot related stroke, according to a US study published recently. Researchers looked at 14 years of data from a US nurses survey that included 69,622 women who reported what they ate, including details on fruit and vegetable consumption, every four years.

The aim was to study the effects of flavonoids — a class of compounds present in fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate and red wine — on health.

While total flavonoid consumption across all six main types found in the typical US diet did not show a benefit in preventing stroke, those who ate lots of oranges and grapefruit and their derived juices showed a 19% lower stroke risk than their counterparts in the study.

“Studies have shown higher fruit, vegetable and specifically vitamin C intake is associated with reduced stroke risk,” said Aedin Cassidy, author of the study in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Flavonoids are thought to provide some of that protection through several mechanisms, including improved blood vessel function and an anti-inflammatory effect,” added Cassidy, professor of nutrition at Norwich Medical School in the University of East Anglia.