Orange peels may hold a key to better cardiovascular health, new University of Florida-led research shows.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women and people of most racial and ethnic groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Recent research has shown that some gut bacteria help develop cardiovascular disease. When they feed on certain nutrients during digestion, gut bacteria produce trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). Levels of TMAO can help predict future cardiovascular disease, according to researchers at the Cleveland Clinic.
With help from a $500,000 USDA grant, Yu Wang and her team investigated the potential of orange peel extracts -- rich in beneficial phytochemicals -- to reduce TMAO and trimethylamine (TMA) production. Scientists tested two types of extracts: a polar fraction and a non-polar fraction.
