Naringin Benefits
Naringin is a citrus flavonoid with newly researched medicinal properties and potential health effects. This plant compound is a flavanone glycoside and is very abundant in citrus fruits. Of the citrus fruits, grapefruits contain particularly high amounts of naringin. Naringin is thought to add to the bitter taste of grapefruits and has good levels of gut absorption. The peel and juice of grapefruits are both good sources of naringin. Clinical studies so far show that it is a safe naturally produced compound.
There are various different phytochemicals in citrus fruits and many of them have potential health benefits. Regularly eating citrus fruits can support optimal health and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases because of their nutrient dense content. Traditional Chinese medicine has used citrus peel, rich in phytochemicals, to treat and enhance digestion. In modern times citrus phytochemicals, such as naringin, are associated with anti-inflammatory effects within the body.
Naringin seems to be effective in the treatment of some chronic inflammatory disorders related to cellular ageing. It is generating excitement in the natural wellness industry as a promising new compound that can assist with optimal wellbeing.
Naringin seems to have strong antioxidant effects and pre-clinical studies show that it may be an anti-cancer compound. Other studies indicate that naringin could have other potential health effects from assisting with osteoporosis to managing asthma.
Let’s take a look at this citrus flavonoid in more detail to identify some of its potential health benefits.
Naringin Effects On Inflammation
As an antioxidant, naringin is a natural anti-inflammatory molecule. In an inflammatory situation, this molecule is going to soak up reactive oxygen species that are causing inflammation. Naringin can neutralise high energy free radicals that can damage cells and cause oxidative stress. This is because of its flavonoid chemical structure.
While another role that antioxidants can play in an inflammatory situation is to assist with tissue or cellular repair of existing molecules. Antioxidants can also support normal energy production. Naringin can improve energy production through assisting the mitochondria in their metabolic functions.
Antioxidants like naringin can also help to maintain the status of other more essential body antioxidants. Naringin has been shown to improve antioxidant levels within the body. It improved levels of reduced glutathione, which is one of the most important antioxidants in the body. This essential antioxidant will have its own effects on reducing inflammation in the body.
Through these influences on the body, naringin can also cause effects on tissue inflammation signals and responses, which will reduce tissue inflammation.
Naringin Use For Chronic Inflammatory Diseases
Naringin is thought to be able to assist sufferers of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, through its ability to support the whole body as an additional antioxidant. Heightened levels of antioxidant power within the body, as encouraged by naringin, reduce inflammatory signalling factors that produce improvements in overall inflammation in the body.
Naringin forms a core part of an anti-inflammatory traditional Chinese medicine geared towards these sort of benefits for joints. Chinese traditional medicine also has used naringin to treat eye disorders caused by excessive build-up of oxidative molecules. Naringin may also improve bone formation rates and the production of bone stem cells, which can potentially help sufferers of osteoporosis.
Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, naringin has real potential to be used in the cosmetics industry. Oxidative stressors such as sun damage can cause inflammatory damage to the skin and antioxidant compounds like naringin may defend the skin against this damage. Naringin may also lower toxicity from some chemicals including those used in sunscreen. Naringin has potential benefits as a gel based cosmetic skin product, especially for the purpose of protecting against inflammatory sun damage.
There is also evidence that naringin may improve wound healing through improvements in collagen expression. Collagen is really important for optimal connective tissue health.
Naringin may also be neuroprotective, offering benefits as an anti-inflammatory molecule to neurones that lowers levels of oxidative stress. One key influencing factor is reduced levels of fatty acid oxidation, with fatty acids being essential for optimal brain health. Naringin could therefore have potential benefits for sufferers of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. It also has detoxification effects on chemical toxicants that could also negatively influence brain health.
Naringin And Heart Health
These potential benefits extend to heart health, where naringin may protective. Studies have found that naringin may be able to stimulate anti-inflammatory and antioxidant signalling pathways that could have benefits to heart health. Together these influences were thought to provide an improvement in heart structure and cellular functioning after treatment with naringin.
Through influencing nitric oxide levels, naringin can positively influence heart health through the relaxation of blood vessels. Naringin seems to influence blood lipid or fat levels, reducing LDL levels and improving HDL levels. This has potential benefits on heart health and in reducing obesity.
Anticancer Properties Of Naringin
New naringin benefits are being discovered year on year and this phytochemical is thought to have some anticancer properties. The normal regulation of cell cycles is really important for the prevention of cancers. Cancers occur when cells grow out of control and compounds like naringin activate normal cell cycle regulatory pathways.
Naringin is thought to initiate a process called apoptosis, where the body kills off cells that are malfunctioning. In cases of cervical cancer, this was observed and naringin was thought to also suppress cancer cell growth. This response improved with higher and higher doses of naringin. One study also observed how naringin protected against breakages of DNA strands. The anti-cancer potential of naringin has been observed in various types of cancer cells, including breast cancer cells.
The antioxidant properties of flavonoids like naringin protect the body from cancer causing events. They are able to neutralize oxidising molecules that cause DNA base changes or damage. DNA base changes are unwanted in most cases. Especially changes to genes involved in cell signalling, as these can cause cancer. Antioxidants like naringin play an around the clock role in protecting the body from harmful DNA changes when in the body.
Naringin And Diabetes
Diabetes occurs when there is a malfunction in the production or signalling of the insulin hormone. Insulin is needed for normal glucose use. Bad insulin levels or signalling causes glucose levels to rise to very high levels. This reduction in usable glucose, relatively meteoric rise in blood glucose and insulin levels can cause organ damage or loss of consciousness, which then needs treatment. Cases of diabetes globally are escalating out of control and this disease is quickly becoming of most concern next to cancer or cardiovascular diseases.
Naringin may block some of the enzymes that help to convert complex carbohydrates or sugars and convert them to useable sugar molecules for absorption in the intestines. Through these actions naringin is thought to lower blood glucose levels, slowing the absorption and digestion of sugars. This is why this compound is thought to offer support to diabetics.
Naringin is also thought to help with insulin sensitisation, offering another potential benefit to diabetics. When taken in addition to vitamin C, naringin improved insulin levels and reduced levels of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a risk factor for the worsening of diabetes.
Summary
Naringin is flavonoid found in high amounts in citrus fruits such as grapefruit, having a bitter taste. Research has associated naringin with anti-inflammatory effects within the body. It seems to be effective in the treatment of some chronic inflammatory disorders.
As an antioxidant, naringin is a natural anti-inflammatory molecule. Naringin can neutralise free radicals that can damage cells and cause oxidative stress. It improves antioxidant levels within the body, such as levels of reduced glutathione. Through these influences on the body, naringin can reduce tissue inflammation.
Chinese traditional medicine also has used naringin to treat different inflammatory conditions, such as inflammatory joint conditions. These are starting to be clinically researched. Naringin may improve bone formation rates and the production of bone stem cells, which can potentially help sufferers of osteoporosis.
Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, naringin has real potential to be used in the cosmetics industry. Particularly against inflammatory damage to the skin. Naringin might also improve wound healing through improvements in collagen expression. Naringin could also be neuroprotective, having potential benefits for sufferers of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
It may also be able to stimulate anti-inflammatory and antioxidant signalling pathways that could have benefits to heart health. While naringin could encourage blood vessels to relax by influencing nitric oxide levels, lowering blood pressure.
One breakthrough area is potential anti-cancer effects. Naringin may initiate more regular cell signalling pathways in the body, ensuring that cancer cell growth is supressed or cancer cells are destroyed. These properties have been observed in various types of cancer cells.
Naringin shows a lot of promise as a molecule that could have a range of preventative health benefits and naringin supplements are available.
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