Effect of Naringin

Flavonoids work as powerful antioxidants, protecting the body from free radicals.
Flavonoids also strengthen capillary walls, assisting circulation and helping prevent bruising and bleeding, and some flavonoids are strong anti-inflammatory agents, helping control damage to tissues. Citrus bioflavonoids are thought to work by strengthening the walls of blood vessels.



Naringin is most commonly used in the nutrition industry to increase uptake of supplements such as caffeine for added performance. It works by interfering with the activity of enzymes in the intestines and thus the breakdown of nutrients and supplements, which leads to higher levels of these compounds in the body.

Naringin also appears to work as an aldose reductase inhibitor, which inhibit the enzyme that turns glucose into other sugars that can't leave the cell thereby allowing it to drain away safely, preventing damage. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is another aldose reductase inhibitor that's used to control blood sugar.

Naringin's properties may explain the popularity and possible benefits of the grapefruit diet during the 1970's. People used grapefruit juice to reduce appetite for weight loss and enhance taste sensation because the naringin in the juice stimulates the taste buds.

Studies financed by Tropicana are finding that naringin in citrus juice may increase levels of good (HDL) cholesterol. Boosting levels of HDL cholesterol slows accumulation of artery-clogging plaque and may support long-term heart health. On the downside: if you drink too much fruit juice, you jack up your blood sugar and consume a great deal of extra sugary carbs. As a solution, researchers are making supplements that offer the benefits of naringin and other citrus bioflavonoids without the high sugar levels found in citrus fruits. In fact, the juice isn't even the best source of naringin anyway: higher levels are found in the peel.

Citrus bioflavonoids like naringin may also help prevent and heal injuries, including bruising and bleeding by maintaining capillaries, which are microscopic blood vessels that allow oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and antibodies to pass from the blood into cells. If capillary walls are too fragile, they will allow blood to drain out of the vessels and into the cells, causing easy bruising and bleeding.

Because naringin can alter the metabolism of certain drugs so that they remain in the bloodstream longer, taking naringin supplements can result in higher-than-expected levels of those drugs in the blood, which may cause a variety of unwanted side-effects. As a result, patients should not take any drugs with naringin or grapefruit juice without first consulting a licensed health care provider. In addition, the effects of taking naringin and/or drinking grapefruit juice are cumulative; the more naringin that is ingested, the greater its interaction with certain drugs and other nutrients.