Orange, grapefruit juice for breakfast builds bones in rats

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Orange, grapefruit juice for breakfast builds bones in rats

Public release date: 6-Jun-2006

COLLEGE STATION – It may sound like Saturday cartoons: a strong-boned

rat that can't be broken. But a couple of Texas researchers say the

real hero is citrus juice.

Orange and grapefruit juice regularly given to lab rats prevented

osteoporosis, long considered an unavoidable aging disease in which

bones become more likely to break, according to a study by Texas A & M

University's Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center researchers. The

article was published in Elsevier's Nutrition journal.

Osteoporosis affects about 2 million men and 8 million women in the

United States, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Nationally, about 1.5 million hips, vertebras and wrists break each

year as a result, said Dr. Bhimu Patil, director of the center at

Texas A & M in College Station.

" It's a silent disease of aging. But if we can maintain our bone

strength, maybe we'll be able to prevent it, " Patil noted.

For the study, 36 males rats were included for two months in the lab

of Dr. Farzad Deyhim, professor of human and animal nutrition at

Texas A & M- Kingsville. Half of the rats were a control group that

continued life as usual. The others were castrated and then treated

in one of three ways: no additional diet change; diet included orange

juice; or, diet included grapefruit juice.

Castration was necessary, the researchers said, because the hormone

testosterone is known to reduce antioxidants.

" This is a problem with aging men, because, the level of testosterone

decreases as men age, " said Deyhim, adding a similar study on female

rats has begun.

Deyhim said fresh grapefruit or orange juice - mixed with sodium

bicarbonate to neutralize acidity - was given to the rats each morning.

" They drank it with no problem, every morning, " Deyhim said. " They

drank more fresh juice than I did during that period. "

Deyhim said the juice study was followed by a similar test with

orange and grapefruit pulp, and although the results of that research

has not been published yet, it too showed enhanced bone density.

He said the team will now examine the rats' bones at the cellular

level " to see what caused that improvement in the bone. " " A reduction

in bone density is caused when there is an increase in oxidants. In

these studies, both grapefruit juice and orange juice increased

antioxidants in the rats' systems, " Patil said. " So that is the

benefit since oxidants damage bone cells.

" There are about 400 compounds in citrus, " he said. " So we need to

find out which compound in citrus caused this. "

Patil suspects " limonoid, " a natural citrus compound, which has been

increasingly studied for its potential to prevent various human

diseases. Limonoids will be the next phase of the study, but there

are at least 40 different ones, Patil cautioned.

" This study backs up our thoughts about the value of citrus, " Patil

said, noting that until researchers completely understand the

interaction of grapefruit juice and certain medications, a person

should ask a doctor.

" In general, people should eat a variety of all the colors (in food)

to get all of the beneficial compounds, " Patil added. " And eat fresh. "

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-06/tau--ogj060606.php