WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research explored at what happens when 20 healthy adults, between ages 21 and 46, drink two cups of pure orange juice every day for 60 days.
Before the study began, participants were asked to avoid other citrus fruits and certain foods like strawberries, chocolate, coffee, wine, and tea so that only the orange juice would affect the results.
During the study, each person drank 500 ml of pasteurized orange juice daily - half in the morning and half later in the day. Blood samples and health measurements, including blood pressure, were taken at the beginning and end of the study. Researchers also contacted the participants twice a week to make sure they were following the instructions.
After 60 days, the results showed that daily orange juice helped lower inflammation and regulate blood pressure in the healthy adults. Genetic changes were also observed, with 3,790 genes behaving differently. Of these total genes, 2,487 became less active and 1,303 became more active.
'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.'
However, the researchers noted some limitations. The study involved only 20 people, all healthy and from a specific region in Brazil, and lasted only two months. Because of this, more research with larger and more diverse groups and over a longer time period is needed to confirm whether the findings apply to the general population.
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