Eating tangerines on a regular basis may help you prevent type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Researchers at the University of Western Ontario in Canada have discovered that a substance found in tangerines prevents obesity and provides protection from type 2 diabetes in mice.
In addition, the researchers found that the substance also provides protection from atherosclerosis (the accumulation of plaque in arteries), which causes most heart attacks and strokes.
The substance in tangerines that provides the health benefits is nobiletin. Nobiletin is part of the flavonoid group of molecules found in citrus fruits. What sets tangerines apart is that they contain the highest concentration of nobiletin.
The researchers found that nobiletin worked by blocking the genes responsible for the production of fat, thereby preventing the accumulation of fat in the liver.
Murrary Huff, a vascular biologist who led the study, believes that nobiletin may provide the same health benefits to humans, but says further testing is needed.
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