Citrus fruit and stroke risk

Photo by Figiu, Wikimedia

The Atlantic had an interesting article this month (March 2012) about citrus fruit and stroke risk. The article discusses a study showing that women benefit from flavanones in citrus fruit, protecting them against ischemic stroke, reducing their risk by 19 percent.

Flavanones are a specific flavonoid found in citrus, such as oranges and grapefruit. Other flavonoids are found in red wine, dark chocolate, vegetables, and other fruits. However the results were specific to the subtype found in citrus. Previous research found that vitamin C is associated with a similar risk reduction.

Another caveat is that increasing fruit juice intake is not recommended - it's high in sugar. Best to just eat more fruit.

The data was from the Nurses Health Study. The idea that flavanones are healthy isn't new as research in 2005 sought to determine the mechanism underlying their antioxidant effect.