Orange onion and Cholesterol

Orange juice help fight high cholesterol, according to preliminary research from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. In a study funded by Tropicana Products, Inc., 25 people with moderately high cholesterol drank orange juice in place of their regular beverages, increasing from one to three cups a day for four weeks, while eating a reduced-fat diet. After drinking the most orange juice, they experienced a 21% increase in HDL ("good") cholesterol and a 16% drop in the ratio of LDL ("bad") cholesterol to HDL. Vitamin C and other phytochemicals in orange juice may account for the apparent heart-healthy benefits.

Effect of onion on blood cholesterol, fibrinogen and fibrinolytic activity in normal subjects. Once used to fight off the Black Plague, the onion has been one of the most cultivated plants in the world. Many people are unaware that onion juice can be used to treat high cholesterol. Although some people may not find onion juice that appetizing, there are many ways to incorporate the juice into your daily diet.

A compound found in the peels of citrus fruit has the potential to lower cholesterol more effectively than some prescription drugs according to a new study.

The study, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and KGK Synergize, a Canadian nutraceutical company, identified a class of compounds isolated from orange and tangerine peels that shows promise in animal studies as a potent, natural alternative for lowering LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), without the possible side effects, such as liver disease and muscle weakness, of conventional cholesterol drugs. The findings were published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The compounds, called polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs), are similar to other plant pigments found in citrus fruits that have been increasingly linked to health benefits, including protection against cancer, heart disease and inflammation. The study is believed to be the first to show that PMFs can lower cholesterol. "Our study has shown that PMFs have the most potent cholesterol-lowering effect of any other citrus flavonoid," says lead investigator Elzbieta Kurowska. "We believe that PMFs have the potential to rival and even beat the cholesterol-lowering effect of some prescription drugs, without the risk of side effects."

PMFs are found in a variety of citrus fruits. The most common citrus PMFs, tangeretin and nobiletin, are found in the peels of tangerines and oranges. They are also found in smaller amounts in the juices of these fruits.

Using hamster models with diet-induced high cholesterol, the researchers showed that feeding them food containing 1 percent PMFs lowered levels of LDL cholesterol by 32 to 40 percent. 

Previous animal studies by others have shown that similar flavonoids, particularly hesperidin from oranges and naringin from grapefruit, also may have the ability to lower cholesterol, although not as effectively as PMFs, according to Kurowska.

Treatment with PMFs did not appear to have any effect on levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), the researchers say. 

The researchers are currently exploring the compound's mechanism of action on cholesterol metabolism. They now suspect, based on early results in cell and animal studies, that it works by inhibiting the synthesis of cholesterol and triglycerides inside the liver.

A long-term human study of the effect of PMFs on high LDL cholesterol is now in progress. While drinking citrus fruits is full of health benefits, taking PMF supplements could be an easier way to lower cholesterol, since a person would have to drink 20 or more cups a day of orange or tangerine juice to have a therapeutic effect, Kurowska estimates.

Onion juice reduces cholesterol and works as a tonic for nervous system. It cleans blood, helps digestive system, cures insomnia and regulates the heart action & helps in lowering cholesterol. 

Sunflower seeds contain a substantial amount of linoelic acid which is helpful in reducing cholesterol deposits on the walls of the arteries. 
Substituting oil of sunflower seeds for some of the solid fats like butter & cream will, therefore lead to a great improvement in health & lower cholesterol.
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