According to a new study eating tangerines could protect against heart attacks, diabetes and stroke, in addition to that it stave off obesity. A pigment known as Nobiletin found in tangerine peel is ten times more powerful than that of derived from grapefruit.
In a study researchers from the University of Western Ontario, in Canada, fed two groups of mice in a lab with a diet high in fats and simple sugars. They found that first group of mice become obese and showed signs associated with metabolic syndrome, raised levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin and fatty liver.
All these raise the risk of diabetes and heart disease. But the second group of mice which had Nobiletin added to their food, gained a normal amount of weight and showed no increase in cholesterol, insulin and glucose. That group was also more susceptible to insulin and was found to have less fatty livers.
According to study author Dr Murray Huff, the Nobiletin-treated mice were protected from obesity. In long-term studies Nobiletin also protected these animals from atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque in arteries, which can escort to a heart attack or stroke. This could pave new ways for future research to see if it is appropriate treatment for associated conditions in people.
In earlier study Dr Huff found that a flavonoid, Naringenin, in grapefruit also protected against metabolic syndrome and obesity. But the tangerine flavonoid was found to be more powerful. The most exciting thing they found is that Nobiletin is ten times more powerful in its protective effects in comparison to Naringenin.
This time, they have also shown Nobiletin has the capability to protect against atherosclerosis.