Orange peel? Don’t throw it away, but use it for your culinary preparations! In this way you will be able to add flavor to dishes but also many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances, useful for protecting the brain and muscles, as emerges from two recent scientific studies we are talking about today.
Orange peel against Alzheimer’s
The first research was published in the journal Pharmaceuticals by an Egyptian team (El Aziz et al, Pharmaceuticals, 2023). The research analyzed the neuroprotective action of orange peels. Scientists started from the assumption that nowadays it is hypothesized that one of the causes of Alzheimer’s is an excessive accumulation of aluminum. Aluminum is almost everywhere, in food, water, drinks and medicines. Aluminum thus enters the body and, due to the ease with which it overcomes the barrier between blood and brain, it accumulates in the latter. An excess of aluminum can favor those processes characteristic of Alzheimer’s, such as the accumulation of beta amyloid and tau proteins between and inside neurons, causing their death.
Therefore, after having recreated the conditions of aluminum-induced Alzheimer’s in the laboratory on mice, scientists studied what happens following the intake of orange peel extracts. Well, it has emerged that these extracts are able to protect the brain from damage induced by aluminum, reducing the formation of beta amyloid proteins and the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, thus increasing the presence of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter responsible for sending nerve impulses between neurons. It should be underlined that Alzheimer’s drugs currently aim to increase acetylcholine. The neuroprotective action of orange peels can be traced back to the presence of antioxidants, such as gallic acid, rutin, naringenin and quercetin.
Orange peel for muscles
The second study was published in the journal Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry by a Japanese team (Suzuki et al, Biosci Biotechnol Biochem, 2021). Scientists have observed that orange peel extracts taken after exercise are able to reduce muscle inflammation caused by physical activity. Physical activity, in fact, causes muscle inflammation that manifests itself with pain and stiffness of the muscles, conditions that we are all familiar with. Orange peel allows for faster recovery, thus reducing the risk of injuries, chronic inflammation and falls and allowing for better mobility.
Conclusions
Oranges, but also mandarins, are fragrant and delicious citrus fruits. The peels are always discarded when we consume these fruits but from today we know that, without exaggerating, we can reuse them within a healthy and varied diet to protect the brain and muscles. While waiting for science to take its course and make targeted treatments available, at the moment we can grate the orange peel or cut it into strips and add it to yogurt, salads, sauces and marinades. Try to use organic fruits and wash them well.