Washington, Sept 12 (ZEENEWS.COM) An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but as two separate studies by boffins in Japan have found, it seems that it is mandarin oranges that not only help keep diseases like atherosclerosis and insulin resistance at bay, but also cut the risk of developing liver cancer.
The first study was conducted by researchers at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine who found that drinking mandarin orange juice may reduce the risk of developing liver cancer in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.
The scientists conducted the study over a one-year period on a group of 30 patients with viral hepatitis. They found that not one person in the group, all of whom were given one cup daily of a specially prepared beverage containing mandarin orange juice, reported the development of liver cancer.
However, an 8.9 percent rate of liver cancer was found among a group of 45 patients who did not drink the juice supplements.
The second epidemiological study was conducted by scientists at the National Institute of Fruit Tree Science in Japan led by Minoru Sugiura, Ph.D.
As a part of their research they surveyed 1,073 people in a Japanese town noted for its high consumption of mandarin oranges.
The researchers found certain chemical markers in the subjects' blood that are associated with a lower risk of several health problems, including liver disease, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and insulin resistance (a condition associated with diabetes).