The body is a living, breathing, hard-working organism. What we consume affects how well the body functions. Antioxidant micronutrients, namely vitamins and carotenoids, are in most fruits and vegetables, and more studies are beginning to show that these micronutrients can contribute to the body’s defense system. These micronutrients are converted into antioxidants that strengthen different parts of the body. Research connects consumption of these micronutrients to lower risks of certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and oxidative stress. “Many studies have revealed that oxidative stress is involved in the onset of various lifestyle-related diseases such as cancer, myocardial infarction, diabetes, and liver diseases, but carotenoids have double bonds…” The double bonds that reduce the potential of free radicals to bond to empty receptors is one quality of carotenoids, the subject of study for this article.
What are Carotenoids?
Carotenoids are the pigmentation that give fruits and vegetables the vibrant yellow, orange and green color; in the body, these are broken down into vitamins A, C and B2. There are six major categories of carotenoids found in the body: alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene. The carotenoids α-carotene, β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin are converted into vitamin A. As connections between carotenoids and reducing the risk of various diseases emerge, a group of scientists drew their attention to one fruit in particular: the Japanese mandarin orange.
Mandarin Oranges
In Japan, there is an abundance of mandarin oranges that are particularly high in the carotenoid beta-cryptoxanthin. A recent study, the Mikkabi Study, examined of inhabitants the town of Mikkabi in Shizuoka, Japan, an area that produces many oranges and therefore has a higher consumption. This study determined the quantity of the serum beta-cryptoxanthin in the body from the Japanese mandarin oranges, and the findings are quite remarkable, even more so because previous studies had showed a relatively low correlation between beta-cryptoxanthin and lifestyle-related illnesses. Mandarin oranges are the domestic fruit tree with the highest consumption rate in Japan, and because of the longevity of life and health in this country, the question was asked: Could the beta-cryptoxanthin in the mandarin oranges of Japan contribute to longevity and health?
This nutritional epidemiologic survey found that “the cross-sectional analyses of the Mikkabi Study indicated inverse associations between serum β-cryptoxanthin and the risk for atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, liver dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, low bone mineral density and oxidative stress.” New findings showed that β-cryptoxanthin has a long life, remaining in the body for up to two months after consumption; also, these mandarin oranges are the biggest contributor of β-cryptoxanthin to the body. It was also found that the concentrations of β-cryptoxanthin in the body were particularly dense, having the highest correlation between intake and blood concentrations, even more so than other carotenoids. The following brief synopses are overviews of how beta-cryptoxanthin can impact the development of lifestyle-related diseases.
Beta-Cryptoxanthin and Lifestyle-Related Diseases
Regarding liver function, some initial tests showed that β-cryptoxanthin may be effective to combat liver decline when consumed at an early stage. Arteriosclerosis, which can come with age and lifestyle choices, could be prevented by consuming citrus fruits. In the Mikkabi Study, it was found that blood with higher concentrations of β-cryptoxanthin had a lower pulse wave velocity, making it less likely that the person would develop Arteriosclerosis. Β-cryptoxanthin also had an impact on insulin resistance risk. Insulin resistance is when the insulin’s effectiveness is low. Formulas that determine insulin resistance revealed that those with β-cryptoxanthin in the blood had more insulin resistance than those who did not. These studies do depend on how much fruit is ingested; typically, participants in the study would consume at least three mandarin oranges a day.
Regarding bone density, part of the study targeted menopausal women, and “significant correlation was found between blood β-cryptoxanthin level and bone mineral density value in menopausal women...therefore, the intake of vitamin C and β-cryptoxanthin is related to the bone density value.” It is also interesting to note that the vitamin C from oranges was not enough; vitamin C had to be consumed through other vegetables and fruits as well. Similarly related are results regarding osteoporosis. In this longitudinal study, bone mineral density was measured four years after the survey, and it was found that “the risk of osteoporosis is reduced by about 92% compared with those who had low blood β-cryptoxanthin concentration.” In this survey, which was different than the Mikkabi Study, participants ate about four oranges a day.
Another area of study was metabolic syndrome risk. “Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels — that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.”[1] Recent findings showed that there is a synergistic increase in oxidative stress through smoking or drinking, and that β-cryptoxanthin can help eliminate this excessive oxidative stress. Findings predict that β-cryptoxanthin is therefore particularly effective against lifestyle-related diseases caused by smoking and drinking.
Summary
Throughout the Mikkabi Study, others of the six carotenoids were studied as well, and it was found that β-carotene, more so than β-cryptoxanthin, had a stronger correlation to reduce metabolic syndrome and arteriosclerosis risk. On the other hand, β-cryptoxanthin was the strongest negative association in liver dysfunction risk (alcoholic / non-alcoholic), insulin resistance risk, osteoporosis risk, and oxidative stress risk. Regarding the carotenoid α-carotene, it had the same positive vitamin A association regarding osteoporosis risk and non-alcoholic liver dysfunction risk, but not nearly as much influence as β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene. In contrast, lutein and zeaxanthin did not show any significant association with most diseases.
The positive findings between consumption of Japanese mandarin oranges, the subsequently heightened levels of β-cryptoxanthin, and the lowered risks of various lifestyle-related disease all promise to reveal more exciting research in the following years. It is conceivable that β-cryptoxanthin has excellent biological regulatory functions not found in other carotenoids, but more studies will have to prove these correlations. In the meantime, eating mandarin oranges is a great place to start to create small, lifestyle changes as you move toward health and longevity.
[1] Reference
Find natural way to building your bones strong during and after menopause with Japanese natural bone strengthening complex formula by Juveriente® which contains bone strengthening nutrients such as; vitamin C, D3, K2, calcium, phosphorus, strontium, and boron.
Comments