A Fuit A day

[prasanna]

Tuesday, September 12, 2006


Health benefits of mandarin oranges revealed

Eating mandarin oranges could significantly reduce the risk of developing serious conditions including liver cancer, heart disease or suffering a stroke, Japanese researchers have claimed. In two separate studies, a high consumption of mandarin oranges or their juice seemed to be associated with lower rates of certain serious conditions.

In the first study carried out by Kyoto's University of Medicine, drinking mandarin orange juice was found to reduce rates of liver cancer in patients with chronic viral hepatitis, who are usually prone to the disease.

Of 30 patients drinking the juice every day, not one was found to have developed the cancer after a year, compared with nearly nine per cent of those patients who did not receive the juice.

In another study by Japan's National Institute of Fruit Tree Science, an investigation found that those who reported consuming large numbers of mandarin oranges tended to have chemical markers in the blood associated with a lower risk of liver disease, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) can lead to heart disease and blood clots that can cause stokes.