Red-fleshed sweet orange juice improves the risk factors for metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Orange juice consumption can promote lower levels of oxidative stress and inflammation due to the antioxidant activity of citrus flavonoids and carotenoids. In addition, red-fleshed sweet orange juice (red orange juice) also contains lycopene. This study investigated the effects of red orange juice consumption on risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Volunteers consumed red orange juice daily for 8 weeks, with clinical and biochemical assessments performed at baseline and on the final day. There was no change in the abdominal obesity, but low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, C-reactive protein decreased, while there was an increase of the antioxidant activity in serum after red orange juice consumption. Insulin resistance and systolic blood pressure were reduced in normal-weight volunteers, while diastolic blood pressure decreased in overweight volunteers after intervention. Red orange juice showed anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and lipid-lowering properties that may prevent the development of metabolic syndrome.

• Abdominal obesity
• citrus flavonoids
• flavanones
• insulin resistance
• oxidative stress
• red orange juice

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Brazilian agency CNPq for grant of scholarship to Jacqueline Q. Silveira, to Citrosuco S/A (Brazil) for supplying red orange juices for this study, and Claudia G Lima for the assistance in the data collection.

Authors’ contributions

Cesar TB carried out the design of the study. Silveira JQ carried out the data collection. Silveira JQ and Dourado GKZS performed the data treatment and statistical analyses. Silveira JQ, Dourado GKZS, and Cesar TB drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare they have no competing interests.