Drinking a little bit of orange juice a day could be more beneficial to your health than you’d think.
A new study published in the Molecular Nutrition & Food Research journal analyzed the results of having 20 healthy individuals, both men and women between the ages of 21 and 46, consume two cups of 100 percent orange juice daily for 60 days.
Three days before they started drinking the juice daily, participants were asked to restrict their consumption of other citrus, like orange, lemon, and grapefruit, as well as strawberries, passion fruit, coffee, chocolate, wine, and teas.
Researchers then tracked changes in 1,705 genes in participants’ immune cells, finding alterations in gene expression associated with blood pressure, inflammation, and metabolism. These are all factors that contribute to the development of heart disease, with researchers concluding that orange juice can keep our hearts healthy.
The study, then, “reinforces the therapeutic potential of OJ.”
“It suggests that it may improve blood pressure regulation, lipid metabolism, and inflammation, among other processes, by modulating gene expression, thereby contributing to cardiovascular health benefits.”
Results showed that drinking orange juice daily for two months primarily helped regulate blood pressure levels and lessen inflammation among healthy individuals.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S., and “one person dies every 34 seconds from cardiovascular disease. In 2023, alone, 919,032 people died from cardiovascular disease.
Research has continued to reveal how small changes to diet or lifestyle can improve heart health. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last month, researchers analyzed how certain risk factors, defined by the American Heart Association, can significantly impact the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Results found that neglecting habits such as healthy eating, sleeping, physical exercise, and nicotine avoidance could leave adults 10 times more at risk of having a heart attack or a stroke later on.
After looking at the heart health of more than 4,000 young adults between the ages of 18 and 30, participants received a score out of 100 based on the eight risk factors.
Results then found that people who maintained a high score across 20 years had a very low risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Participants who maintained a moderate score over that time were twice at risk, and those who went from a moderate score to a low score were 10 times more at risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.
“We hope that young adults will focus on their heart health as soon as possible, in order to gain the biggest dividends in longer, healthier lives,” the study’s co-author, Professor Donald Lloyd-Jones, said. “Our current observation indicates that change matters; improvements in heart health can decrease future risk, and the earlier it is attained and maintained, the better.”
