Bitter Orange is regarded as a native Asian plant with excellent medicinal uses because almost every part of the plant such as its peel, leaf, flower and fruit are beneficial in making medicines.
Until now there is scientific evidence only for the petroleum of Bitter Orange that’s known to be most beneficial in the treatment of several fungal infections.
However, a lot of people also use Bitter orange for indigestion, osteoporosis as well as many more, but there’s not any scientific evidence which supports it.
The blossom of this bitter orange plant and the oil extracted from the bark of the fruit is used for treating gastrointestinal disorders like ulcers that happen in intestines, constipation, blood in the stool and even diarrhea.
The fruit of the plant is utilized in the manufacture of liquors like Triple Sec and Grand Marnier and can also be required from the production of Marmalades. The fruit is consumed by local residents of Iran and Mexico and can be averted in other areas of the world because of the sour and bitter taste of the fruit.
The oil of this plant is also utilized in the production of a lot of daily use things like soap and cosmetics and is currently being used in the pharmaceutical sectors.
It isn’t recommended to use health supplements that contain Bitter Orange as a component, since they may cause serious long term effects on your hearth. Thus, they are not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Health supplements that use Bitter orange extract can contain Ephedra (ma-huang), which is similar to Synephrine. Ephedra is prohibited by FDA and Synephrine is an active ingredient of orange.
How Does Bitter Orange Work?
There are numerous chemicals present in the Bitter Orange which are known to affect the central nervous system in human beings. The consequences and concentration of these chemicals depend on the part of the plant in where the compound is expressed and the method employed in the extraction and preparation and the effects can change so. The common effects of the chemicals are-
- Squeezing of the Blood Vessels
- Increase in the Blood Pressure
- Increase in the beating rate of the heart.
Weight Reduction Benefits of Bitter Orange
Research is still being carried on the possible ramifications of Bitter Orange and until today these impacts on weight loss are still not clear and entirely known. The findings till today from these research works are contradictory and compared with each other.
Some studies and researches reveal that when users use a combination of bitter orange with Caffeine and St. John’s wort and supplement it with a low-calorie nutritious diet and a few moderate exercise can experience a reduction in their body’s weight.
Various other studies show that when Bitter Orange is consumed in conjunction with other products such as caffeine, raspberry ketone, garlic, ginger, capsaicin, cayenne and black pepper and supplement it with Moderate exercise program for a period of eight weeks can result in an increment from the body fat of the user as well as elevated energy levels.
But various other studies show that no mixture of foods containing bitter orange can help in the reduction of weight. What’s more, it’s used as one of the active ingredients in Phen375 which is a fat-loss supplement.
Additional Advantages of Bitter Orange
There are many assumed benefits associated with the usage of parts of the Bitter Orange plant but to date, there is not much evidence available to support the same statement. The following are some of the supposed benefits of this Bitter Orange plant and components.
Stress
Some research studies were conducted on adults suffering from coronary disease and it was found that inhaling the oil of bitter orange blossoms for a span of 2 weeks may improve the anxiety issues of people as soon as they leave the hospital. Another study demonstrates that girls who have reached menopause and eat flavor of sour orange orally might experience a decrease in their anxiety levels.
Athletic Performance
A lot of research work has been done on the effects of Bitter Orange on athletic performance and the outcomes obtained from those research were quite conflicting. Some research studies show that when bitter orange is absorbed or without caffeine, it may improve the performance of the consumer when doing squat exercises. However, it was ineffective in reducing fatigue levels. However, another study demonstrated that bitter orange did not improve athletic performance at all regardless of what combination was consumed.
Diabetes
Some research studies have revealed that diabetic users that drank the tea that was made from the leaves of Bitter Orange fruit and also the Indian Snake Fruit for a period of four months witnessed a reduction in their blood sugar levels.
Indigestion or Dyspepsia
It has been scientifically proven that consuming a specific product containing bitter orange and Zhizhu thrice per day for a period of four weeks aids in cutting indigestion in its own users.
PMS or Premenstrual Syndrome
Bitter Orange is not helpful in curing the bodily symptoms in Women during PMS but when used with Aromatherapy, the sour orange oil extract demonstrated to enhance the mental symptoms and emotions of PMS in young adults.
Other Advantages
There are numerous additional benefits of Bitter Orange fruit and some of them are:
- Slimming Stress before a surgery
- Fixing ringworm or Tinea Corporis
- Treating Jock Itch or Tinea Cruris
- Treating Athlete’s Foot or Tinea Pedis
- Curing Allergies
- Fixing Bruises
- Treatment of Cancer
- Enhancing in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS
- Colds
- Swelling of the eyes
- Headaches
Negative Effects
When consumed orally, Bitter Orange is a safe product and has nearly no side effects on its users. However, Bitter Orange once consumed as a medication in huge amounts can have some harmful side effects on its users.
When consumed in a combination with other products and stimulants like caffeine, caffeine Herbs and extracts comprising iodine might lead to an increase in the possibility of high blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks and other side effects.
Users might also suffer from headaches and migraine headaches.
The extracts of Bitter Orange, when implemented on the skin in the kind of oil is comparatively safe to be used and it may lead to sensitivity to your skin against the sun and these effects will probably be notable in users that are light-skinned.
Warnings and Precautions
For pregnant and breastfeeding women
Bitter Orange extracts are safe for consumption orally when it’s employed as an ingredient in the food. However, it might have any side effects when it is consumed in huge amounts as a medication. But, there’s absolutely no significant evidence available that can demonstrate the unwanted effects of Bitter Orange on girls who are breastfeeding.
Dosage
Some research studies have shown that bitter orange may have some interference with the blood glucose levels of patients afflicted by Type-2 diabetes.
High Blood Pressure
When Bitter Orange is used in a combination with Caffeine, it might cause a rise in the blood pressure levels in those people that are absolutely healthy and there isn’t any significant evidence till date that may demonstrate the unwanted effects of Bitter Orange on those people who are suffering from High Blood Pressure.
Dosage – Bitter Orange Extract
There’s no exact, universal recommended dose of Bitter Orange and these dosages differ from individuals to people and depend on a variety of factors such as age, sex and medical state of the user.
One should always consult with their doctor about the Daily Recommended limitation Bitter Orange extract.