What is naringin good for?

While more research is needed, naringin’s potential health benefits include promoting bone health, lowering inflammation, improving liver health, preventing metabolic syndrome, and slowing the spread of cancer.

What foods contain naringin?

Certain citrus fruits contain naringin, such as grapefruit, oranges, and lemons. Other plants that contain naringin include tomatoes and sour cherries.

Is naringin safe for humans?

Naringin is generally thought to be safe for human consumption. It’s found naturally in many foods, including citrus fruits. But pure naringin may bring on certain side effects, such as dizziness, upset stomach, or flushed skin.

What is naringin used to treat?

According to some studies, naringin may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. It may also help improve bone and liver health, and help prevent metabolic syndrome.

Does naringin help with weight loss?

Some <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36494293/">research in mice</a> suggests that naringin may help with weight loss. However, more human studies are needed to confirm this benefit.

Naringin flavanone: Benefits and side effects

Naringin is a flavanone, which is a type of flavonoid commonly found in certain citrus fruits. It’s also found in some plants, including cannabis.

Naringin affects the taste and color of plants. It also offers some potential health benefits.

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What is naringin?

Naringin belongs to a category of chemical compounds known as flavanones, which are a type of flavonoid.

Flavanones and other flavonoids impact the taste and color of different plants. They also help plants protect themselves against diseases and harmful insects.

Naringin is most commonly associated with citrus fruits, including:

Grapefruit
Lemon
Orange
Pomelo

Grapefruit contains especially high amounts of naringin, which gives the fruit its bitter taste.

However, some other plants also contain the flavanone in smaller amounts, such as:

Tomatoes
Sour cherries
Cocoa
Greek oregano
Cannabis

Naringin is also commonly used as:

A flavoring agent for foods
A fragrance for scented cosmetics and other products
An ingredient in pharmaceuticals
An ingredient in livestock feed to improve the health of animals

Naringin benefits

Research has shown that naringin may offer some health benefits. But more studies are needed to confirm its positive effects on health.

Lowers inflammation

Naringin may have anti-inflammatory effects, according to a review article. Researchers found that it may help reduce inflammation in many parts of the body, including the:

Joints
Liver
Brain
Skin
Lungs

Protects liver health

A rat study found that naringin may help prevent liver damage and injury caused by exposure to toxic substances. Researchers found that naringin may help reduce inflammation, cell damage, and fibrosis in liver tissue.

Reduces cancer spread

Researchers have found that naringin may help prevent the progression of cancerous cells and tumors. Findings from a narrative review suggest that the flavanone helps lower inflammation in the body that may otherwise promote cancer spread. The study also suggests that naringin supplements might help make chemotherapy more effective.

Prevents metabolic syndrome

One study found that naringin helped improve diet-induced metabolic syndrome in rats. Rats that were fed a diet high in fats and carbohydrates but given naringin supplements showed improvements in fatty liver, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure.

The study also suggests that, because metabolic syndrome can lead to heart disease, naringin may help protect heart health.

Improves bone health

Naringin may increase the activity of bone cells to promote bone formation, according to a cell study.

Naringin flavonoid in cannabis

Naringin is one of about 20 flavonoids found in cannabis. The cannabis plant contains only trace amounts of naringin. As a result, no high-naringin strains are available.

Naringin side effects

Some people have reported side effects after consuming pure naringin, such as:

Dizziness
Upset stomach
Flushed skin

However, the small amount of naringin in cannabis is unlikely to cause these side effects.

The bottom line: Naringin has several potential health benefits

Naringin gives certain plants a bitter flavor, and may be used to promote bone health, protect heart health, and lower inflammation in the body.

Although cannabis contains trace amounts of naringin, the flavanone still contributes to the plant’s potential health benefits. To learn more about how naringin and other flavonoids contribute to the effects of cannabis, schedule an appointment with a provider at Leafwell.

Resources

Effect of naringin on bone cells. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jor.20279
Flavonoids in Cannabis sativa: Biosynthesis, bioactivities, and biotechnology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7931196/
Naringin and naringenin: Their mechanisms of action and the potential anticancer activities. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/10/7/1686
Naringin improves diet-induced cardiovascular dysfunction and obesity in high carbohydrate, high fat diet-fed rats. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3705310/
Naringin prevents cyclophosphamide-induced hepatoxicity in rats by attenuating oxidative stress, fibrosis, and inflammation. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278691521002994
Naringin reduces fat deposition by promoting the expression of lipolysis and β-oxidation related genes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36494293/
Regulatory mechanism and therapeutic potentials of naringin against inflammatory disorders. https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(24)00650-9

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What is naringin? Guide to the flavanone