Citrus Fruits Lower Risk of Stroke

Popular winter fruits like oranges and grapefruits come with an unexpected health benefit: eating them may lower the risk of ischemic strokes (clots) especially n woman according to a study reported in stroke, a journal of the American Heart Association. The researchers analysed 14 years of follow up data from the National Institutes of Health Nurses Health Study, which included 69,622 woman that reported their food intake every four years, including details on fruit and vegetable consumption. The study discovered that a high intake of flavanoids found in the greatest concentrations in oranges and grapefruit, was associated with a 19 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke.

In the study, the presence of flavanoids came primarily from oranges and orange juice (82 percent) and grapefruit juice (14 percent). However, the researchers recommended that consumers increase their citrus fruit intake rather than juice consumption to avoid the sugar in many commercial juices.