If one is confronted with the question: "Why is it important to drink orange juice every day?" the typical response would revolve somewhere around the benefits of vitamin C. Though according to research, two additional ingredients found in the citrus drink need to be recognized: flavanoids and limonoids (nutrient-packed pigments that give color and taste to fruit). These compounds are significant because they may help prevent or even stop neuroblastoma cells.
Neuroblastomas account for nearly 10 percent of all cancer in children and usually exist as a solid tumor residing in the neck, chest, spinal cord or adrenal gland.
Unlike other anti-cancer drugs, limonoids are non-toxic and do not present any harmful side effects. And although flavanoids and limonoids both work against cancer, researchers found that limonoids specifically:
Studies showed that neuroblastoma cells died in 48 hours or less within contact of 5, 10 and 50 micromoles of limonoids -- one micromole is equal in size to a tiny skin flake. (One glass of orange or grapefruit juice will comprise these amounts of limonoids.) They also discovered that limonoids trigger apoptosis, a programmed cell death that spirals in an unstoppable fashion once the weak spot on the cell is struck. This, in turn, leads to cell death.
Researchers hope their findings will lead to the possibility of taking an oral cocktail of limonoids to put a stop to cancer.
Science Blog December 1, 2004
Before you start adding orange juice to your grocery list, consider this: Fruit juice has about EIGHT FULL TEASPOONS of sugar per one eight-ounce glass. This sugar -- a fruit sugar known as fructose -- is every bit as dangerous as regular table sugar since it too will result in a major increase in insulin levels.
And, as most of you know from reading my twice-weekly newsletter, nearly all simple sugars are metabolized quickly in the body and disrupt insulin levels, which contributes to most chronic diseases. So as you can see, the effects of fructose result in similar problems.
For those of you who have children who are already heavy fruit juice drinkers, here's a practical tip for weaning kids off it, or at least keeping consumption to a minimum: DILUTE the juice with water. If a child is already a juice drinker, start slowly by diluting slightly, and keep increasing the water content over time.
Please note: I am not advocating that one should avoid all fruit, just fruit juice. When the fruit is intact and whole, its fiber will somewhat moderate the release of fructose as well as insulin into the bloodstream. Thus, eating small amounts of whole fruit will NOT provide tremendous amounts of fructose and should not be a problem for most people.
However, to a large extent, whether or not fruits are good for you depends on several factors including:
To delve deeper in understanding what foods are right for you, I recommend reading my book, TOTAL HEALTH Program. It will provide you with a basic test to determine your nutritional type, along with a full understanding of what nutritional type is and why eating according to yours is absolutely crucial to prevent disease and premature aging, optimize your weight, increase energy levels and live longer.
You will also gain a full understanding of the healthiest animal- and plant-based foods -- including fruits -- you should eat in order to achieve optimal wellness.
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Do You Really Want Your Vitamin D From Orange Juice?
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