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Consumption of orange juice by patients with high levels of cholesterol increased the amount of the so-called good cholesterol - high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL is responsible for transporting the "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol out of the body. Certain chemicals in orange juice - particularly flavonoids and limonoids - apparently have a beneficial effect on HDL cholesterol, says Elzbieta Kurowska Ph.D., a research associate at the university's Centre for Human Nutrition, London, Ontario. She noted that orange juice contains more than 170 phytochemicals that reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. "Exactly which of these chemicals is responsible for this increase in HDL we don't know," said Kurowska. Kurowska measured cholesterol in 25 subjects and then had them substitute orange juice for their regular beverage of choice. They started drinking one glass a day for four weeks; two glasses a day the next four weeks and three glasses a day during the third month of the trials. The subjects - most of whom had elevated cholesterol levels - were then told not to drink orange juice for five weeks, when their cholesterol levels were measured again. While there were no changes in LDL cholesterol, the average HDL cholesterol rose to 21 percent. And the ratio of HDL cholesterol to total cholesterol decreased by 16 percent. Experts say that both an increase in HDL and a decrease in the cholesterol ratio reduce the risk of heart disease and suggested that antioxidants in orange juice could play a role in changing the cardiovascular risk markers. Kurowska said that the study considered alcohol and exercise. She said the subjects were generally sedentary. In addition to the flavonoids and limonoids, Kurowska also noted that orange juice is rich in Vitamin C, potassium and folic acid. |
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