Naringin is a flavonoid compound found in grapefruit, naringin gives
grapefruit its characteristic bitter flavor. Grapefruit processors attempt
to select fruits with a low naringin content, and often blend juices obtained
from different grapefruit varieties to obtain the desired degree of bitterness.
Naringin is believed to enhance our perception of taste by stimulating
the taste buds (some people consume a small amount of grapefruit juice
before a meal for this reason).
Naringin may be instrumental in inhibiting cancer-causing compounds and
thus may have potential chemotherapeutic value. Studies have also shown
that naringin interferes with enzymatic activity in the intestines and,
thus, with the breakdown of certain drugs, resulting in higher blood levels
of the drug. A number of drugs that are known to be affected by the naringin
in grapefruit include calcium channel blockers, estrogen, sedatives, medications
for high blood pressure, allergies, AIDS, and cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Caffeine levels and effects of caffeine may also be extended by consuming
grapefruit or grapefruit juice. While the effect of naringin on the metabolism
of a drug can increase the drug's effectiveness, it can also result in
dosages that are inadvertently too high. Therefore, it's best not to take
any drugs with grapefruit juice unless the interaction with the drug is
known. In addition, the effects of drinking grapefruit juice is cumulative,
which means that if you drank a glass of grapefruit juice daily with your
medication for a week, the drug interaction would be stronger at the end
of the week than at the beginning.
(Source: www.wholehealthmd.com)
Research Overview
Research on Naringin shows the following effects:
1. Protects against toxins in chemotherapy drugs and the environment
2. Enhances lipid metabolism
3. Enhances ethanol metabolism
4. Reduces negative effects of ethanol intake
5. Acts as a free radical scavenger
6. Reduces cytotoxicity
7. Acts as an antioxidant
8. Acts as an anti-apoptotic
9. Protect from carcinogenic matter
10. May reduce risk of atherosclerosis
11. Significantly inhibits LDL oxidation
12. Used in the treatment of gastric lesions
13. Inhibits the Sindbis neurovirulent virus
14. Reduces total cholesterol levels
15. Protects plasma vitamin E levels
16. Prevents hypercholesterolemia
17. Is anti-atherogenic
Naringin
Abstracts (27)
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