Bitter Orange

[slat1]

I thought this might be of interest to a few types of people on here:
-people with high BP
-people with insomnia


Bitter Orange has served many ancient cultures for its medicine effects in treating a large variety of health distorders. Today bitter orange teas, tinctures and extracts are still used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, insomnia, head aches and obesity.

Bitter Orange for Better Health

Bitter orange has a complex chemical makeup specifically in the oil that is extracted from the peel. This oil it produces iw what gives bitter orange its strong odor and flavor, and is used to treat a variety of health problems. The peel contains flavones, the alkaloids synephrine, octopamine, and N-methyltyramine, and carotenoids.

Only the peel of Bitter Orange has proven medicinal value, and mainly for digestive problems and health concerns. However, in folk medicine the flower of Bitter Orange is also used -- not only to treat gastrointestinal disorders, but treat a myria of health problems ranging from nervousness and insomnia to gout and sore throat, and even for obesity. In oriental medicine, the flower fo the Bitter orange is used for poor appetite, chest and stomach pain, and vomiting. Homeopathic practitioners use both the peel and the flower to remedy both headaches and pain.

Today Bitter orange continued to be employed in a wide variety of traditions. In Latin America the leaf of the Bitter Orange plan is prepared as a tonic and used as a laxative, a sedative for insomnia, and to calm anxiety. The peel of the fruit is used to treat stomach aches and high blood pressure. Some cultures in parts of use bitter orange peel as an anti-spasmodic. In traditional oriental medicine, the bitter orange peal is used to treat indigestion, abdominal pain, constipation, and dysenteric diarrhea. Bitter orange is still used throughout the world as a cure for insomnia and indigestion.

Bitter Orange for Weight Loss

Bitter orange contains several chemical compounds believed to stimulate metabolic rate, which may increase calorie burning in the body. While no clinical trails have substantiated the effectiveness of bitter orange as weight loss supplement, it appears to be effective in combination with St. John’s wort and caffeine.

Dosage and Administration

Many health professionals recomment 1 to 2 grams of dried bitter orange peel simmered for 10 to 15 minutes in a cup of water. Three cups are usually recommeded as a daily dosage. As a tincture, 2 to 3 ml is usually recommended, also to be taken three times a day. Supplementing with pure bitter orange oil is usually avoided.

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Historical or traditional use (may or may not be supported by scientific studies)

Bitter orange is used similarly in a wide variety of traditions. In Mexico and South America the leaf is used as a tonic, as a laxative, as a sedative for insomnia, and to calm frazzled nerves. 1, 2 The peel of the fruit is used for stomach aches and high blood pressure. 3, 4 The Basque people in Europe use the leaves for stomach aches, insomnia, and palpitations and the bitter orange peel as an anti-spasmodic. 5 In traditional Chinese medicine, the peel of the immature fruit is used for indigestion, abdominal pain, constipation, and dysenteric diarrhea. Where the patient is weak, the milder, mature fruit is used similarly. 6 Bitter orange continues to be widely used for insomnia and indigestion in many parts of the world. 7

Active Constituents

Bitter orange has a complex chemical makeup, though it is perhaps most known for the volatile oil in the peel. The familiar oily residue that appears after peeling citrus fruit, including bitter orange, is this volatile oil. It gives bitter orange its strong odor and flavor, and accounts for many of its medicinal effects. Besides the volatile oil, the peel contains flavones, the alkaloids synephrine, octopamine, and N-methyltyramine, and carotenoids. 8, 9

Dosage
How much is usually taken?

Usually 1 to 2 grams of dried peel is simmered for 10 to 15 minutes in a cup of water; three cups are drunk daily. As a tincture, 2 to 3 ml (with a weight-to-volume ratio ranging from 1:1 to 1:5) is often recommended for use three times per day. 10 The purified volatile oil is generally avoided for reasons discussed in the side effects section.

Side Effects
Are there any side effects or interactions?

Bitter orange oil may possibly cause light sensitivity (photosensitivity), especially in fair-skinned individuals. 11 Generally this occurs only if the oil is applied directly to the skin and then exposed to bright light; in rare cases it has also been known to occur in people who have taken bitter orange internally. The oil should not be applied topically and anyone who uses it internally should avoid bright light, including tanning booths.

Internal use of the volatile oil of bitter orange is also potentially unsafe and should not be undertaken without expert guidance. Large amounts of orange peel have caused intestinal colic, convulsions, and death in children. 12 The amounts recommended above for internal use should not be exceeded.

One text on Chinese medicine cautions against the use of bitter orange in pregnancy. 13 This concern is not raised in any other reference, and the American Herbal Products Association classifies the herb as "class 1," an herb that can be safely consumed during pregnancy when used appropriately. 14

Decoctions of bitter orange substantially increased blood levels of cyclosporine in pigs, causing toxicity. 15 Bitter orange also inhibited human cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) in the test tube. 16 This is an enzyme that helps the liver get rid of numerous toxins, and strongly affects metabolism of certain drugs. Bitter orange might, therefore, interact with drugs that are metabolized by CYP3A. To be on the safe side, bitter orange should not be combined with prescription medications, unless someone is under the care of an experienced natural medicine clinician.

At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with bitter orange.

References
1. Martinez M. Las Plantas Medicinales de Mexico. Mexico City: Libreria y Ediciones Botas, 1991.
2. Gonzalez-Ferrara MM. Plantas medicinales del noreste de Mexico. Monterey, Mexico: Grupo Vitro, 1998.
3. Gonzalez-Ferrara MM. Plantas medicinales del noreste de Mexico. Monterey, Mexico: Grupo Vitro, 1998.
4. Bejar E, Bussmann R, Roa C, Sharon D. Herbs of Southern Ecuador: A Field Guide to the Medicinal Plants of Vilcabamba. Spring Valley, CA: LH Press, 2001.
5. Molina GV: Plantas Medicinales en el Pais Vasco. San Sebastian, Spain: Editorial Txertoa, 1999.
6. Bensky D, Gamble A, Kaptchuk T. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, rev. ed. Seattle: Eastland Press, Inc., 1993.
7. Hernandez L, Munoz RA, Miro G, et al. Use of medicinal plants by ambulatory patients in Puerto Rico. Am J Hosp Pharm 1984;41:2060-4.
8. Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications, 1999.
9. Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. Cited 2003 Jul 11. Available from URL: www.ars-grin.gov, 2002.
10. Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications, 1999.
11. Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J, eds. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications, 1999.
12. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1998.
13. Bensky D, Gamble A, Kaptchuk T. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, rev ed. Seattle: Eastland Press, Inc., 1993.
14. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1998.
15.Hou YC, Hsiu SL, Tsao CW, et al. Acute intoxication of cyclosporine caused by coadministration of decoctions of the fruits of Citrus aurantium and the pericarps of Citrus grandis. Planta Med 2000;66:653-5.
16. Guo LQ, Taniguchi M, Chen QY, et al. Inhibitory potential of herbal medicines on human cytochrome P450-mediated oxidation: Properties of umbelliferous or citrus crude drugs and their relative prescriptions. Jpn J Pharmacol 2001;85:399-408.

 

[mendo]

My gf works at GNC and is always trying to get me to take some goofy herbal pill in place of gear lol...

She gave me some bitter orange to help me sleep...the shit kept me up all night.

I think it was all the synephrin.

 

[slat1]

I take it with green tea and ginseng for fat burning. I don't take it after 4pm. I definately think it would keep me up too!

 

[slat1]

Now that I think about it. People using dbol could benefit from this stuff too!

 

[azul]

Bro, I dunno where you got this information from, but Bitter Orange is not used to treat high blood pressure. If anything, it can increase blood pressure. It's used relatively often as a replacement for ephedrine these days, and it works very similarly to ephedrine, which can raise blood pressure as well.

http://www.raysahelian.com/bitterorange.html

"Increased body temperature may occur as the dose is increased. Drink plenty of cold water. Bitter orange may increase risk of heart irregularities and increase blood pressure. Discuss with your physician if you are taking medicines or have a chronic health condition. Long term effects or potential harm from high dose of bitter orange ingestion is still not fully understood."

 

[slat1]

Bro, I dunno where you got this information from, but Bitter Orange is not used to treat high blood pressure.

3. Gonzalez-Ferrara MM. Plantas medicinales del noreste de Mexico. Monterey, Mexico: Grupo Vitro, 1998.
4. Bejar E, Bussmann R, Roa C, Sharon D. Herbs of Southern Ecuador: A Field Guide to the Medicinal Plants of Vilcabamba. Spring Valley, CA: LH Press, 2001

 

[azul]

3. Gonzalez-Ferrara MM. Plantas medicinales del noreste de Mexico. Monterey, Mexico: Grupo Vitro, 1998.
4. Bejar E, Bussmann R, Roa C, Sharon D. Herbs of Southern Ecuador: A Field Guide to the Medicinal Plants of Vilcabamba. Spring Valley, CA: LH Press, 2001

Just look it up on google... pretty much every site states that it can increase blood pressure. Might just be the synephrine, but you're not gonna find bitter orange without synephrine.

 

[slat1]

Here are a few links to support:
http://www.nutrasanus.com/bitter-orange.html
http://yalenewhavenhealth.org/library/healthguide/en-us/Cam/topic.asp?hwid=hn-3935005
http://www.kroger.com/hn/Herb/Bitter_Orange.htm

I believe this is the study you were refering to:

CASE SUMMARY: A 55-year-old white woman presented to the emergency department with symptoms of dull aching shoulder and chest pain. A review of medications during cardiac rehabilitation revealed the patient had ingested a multicomponent dietary supplement for weight loss containing 300 mg of bitter orange (Edita's Skinny Pill) for the past year. Although the patient's past medical history did not include hypertension, coronary disease, or hyperlipidemia, an arteriogram revealed a lesion in the left main coronary artery. She did have a smoking history. She was diagnosed with acute lateral-wall MI and hospitalized for 4 days. DISCUSSION: Consumers generally consider dietary supplements safe. However, some supplements taken for weight loss contain ingredients that have been associated with cardiovascular events. Although consumers are becoming more aware of the serious adverse effects secondary to products containing ingredients such as Ma huang and ephedra, reports involving other ingredients are increasing. Bitter orange or synephrine, found in bitter orange, has been associated with adverse cardiovascular reactions. Based on the Naranjo probability scale, Bitter orange is possibly associated with this cardiovascular event. CONCLUSIONS: The use of bitter orange-containing supplements may present as a risk for cardiovascular toxicity; however, additional studies/case reports are needed to validate this conclusion. Bitter orange research bitter orange extract bitter orange peel.

The FDA had a reaction...

FDA Spins Numbers on Bitter Orange AERS
Silver Spring, MD — During the past few months, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided the media confusing, conflicting ‹ and inaccurate ‹ information about the number of adverse event reports (AERs) that the agency has received associated with bitter orange (Citrus aurantium). The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has evaluated FDA's records in this matter and has identified the following erroneous representations:

The New York Times reported that an unnamed FDA spokeswoman said 85 adverse reactions ‹ and 7 deaths ‹ had been associated with this ingredient (April 11, 2004).

Food Chemical News reported that Barbara Schneeman, PhD, the new director of the FDA's Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling, and Dietary Supplements, tallied 169 bitter orange AERs (July 5, 2004).

The Los Angeles Times cited a "spokeswoman for [FDA]"as its source for reporting that 169 "reactions" had now been "linked" to bitter orange (July 19, 2004).

It now appears that none of these numbers are accurate, and that the actual number of reports that FDA has received for products that consist only of bitter orange is zero.

Immediately following the publication of the first of these cited articles AHPA filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with FDA to obtain copies of any AERs regarding dietary supplements containing bitter orange. AHPA was subsequently provided with 147 such reports and has now analyzed these to find:

• 52 of the 147 reports received from FDA were either apparent duplicates or did not provide any information to confirm that bitter orange was listed as an ingredient in the product.
• 70 of the received reports were associated with products that actually contained both bitter orange and ephedra. In its recent ban on ephedra the government branded any amount of ephedrine in a dietary supplement as presenting an unreasonable risk of illness or injury. FDA has therefore already assigned ephedrine as the "associated" ingredient for each of these 70 cases and utilized that information as part of the basis on which it has banned ephedrine alkaloids from dietary supplements, but apparently now considers these cases to be "associated" with bitter orange.
• All but one of the remaining reports involved products that contained both bitter orange and a source of caffeine.

Thus, only a single adverse event report, received over 5 years ago, was associated with a product that contained bitter orange but did not contain either caffeine or ephedrine. This case involved a 74-year-old woman who had taken three separate herbal formulas, one of which contained "immature bitter orange" as one of its six listed ingredients. The woman's prior medical history included osteoarthritis, hypertension, and diabetes, and she was taking five prescription drugs. Her adverse experience was recorded as: "Felt very unwell, weak," and later "lower extremity swelling (2+ edema)."

AHPA President Michael McGuffin has contacted FDA to discuss the apparent misrepresentation of these reports by the agency. "It appears as if the agency is willing to regulate by anonymous press release and to be quite cavalier in its approach to truthfully informing the public about the safety profile of bitter orange," said McGuffin. "It was apparent in my conversation with the agency that FDA officials knew that many of these reported adverse reactions were associated with products that also contained ephedrine alkaloids when they provided numbers to the media but did not consider it to be important to disclose that information. That information is material, and FDA's failure to disclose it makes their unqualified statements misleading in the extreme."

 

[slat1]

Azul.. you did make me go back and check my facts. Which wound up being a good thing. I listed bitter orange as increasing appetite. That may have been an error on my part. There have been conflicting studies on this.
Karma for helping me find the mistake... must spread it around bla bla..

 

[azul]

Didn't read it, too long

http://www.bodyandfitness.com/Information/Weightloss/Research/synephrine.htm - "Importantly, each of these related compounds (synephrine, ephedrine and octopamine) can result in elevated blood pressure."

http://www.raysahelian.com/bitterorange.html - "Bitter orange may increase risk of heart irregularities and increase blood pressure."

http://www.nutriline.org/bitter_orange_peel.htm - "Experts believe that Bitter Orange Peel increases fat metabolism without the cardiovascular side effects sometimes experienced with ephedrine (such as dry mouth, high blood pressure and nervousness)."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...ve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15337824 - "Although no adverse events have been associated with ingestion of C. aurantium products thus far, synephrine increases blood pressure in humans and other species, and has the potential to increase cardiovascular events."

http://www.numarkpharmacists.com/hn/Herb/Bitter_Orange.htm - "The peel of the fruit is used for stomach aches and high blood pressure."

Other than this one study in Mexico, I can't seem to find anything that would show it reducing blood pressure. And having lived in Latin America for several years, I wouldn't trust any of the shit that comes out of there (except the chicks, of course).

 

[slat1]

I believe the second link posted was from a Yale study... good enough for me.
I found where the confusion occured... Here is a letter that clears up the issue...

ABC Submits Letter to Editor of USA Today Responding to Bitter Orange Article


November 3, 2004

Editor
USA TODAY
7950 Jones Branch Drive
McLean, VA 22108-0605

Re: Leigh, Susan. Lax rules let supplements lurk as health threats. USA Today. October 27, 2004. (p. 13A).

Dear Editor:

Ms. Leigh erroneously characterizes the safety of bitter orange (Citrus aurantium), an herbal ingredient in numerous ephedra-free dietary supplements. She cites a recent article in Experimental Biology and Medicine as part of her concern that bitter orange may cause some of the same cardiovascular effects as the now-banned herb ephedra. A careful reading of the cited article reveals that increased blood pressure in humans occurred after the isolated compound synephrine (found in bitter orange) or bitter orange extract itself were injected intravenously into humans. That article acknowledges that there were no ill effects in humans when bitter orange was ingested, that is, consumed by mouth, as is done with foods and dietary supplements (dietary supplements are permitted only for ingestion, by law).

Science recognizes that different routes of administration of the same substance can have markedly different biological effects. The author, a medical writer, presumably knows this and should have made this critically important distinction clear to your readers.

Ms. Leigh also suggests that bitter orange should have been pre-approved by the Food and Drug Administration. She does not mention that bitter orange is considered a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) food ingredient by FDA for use in candies, soft drinks and other foods and that it is the primary ingredient in many brands of orange marmalade.

As an independent nonprofit educational organization, the American Botanical Council has evaluated the safety of two dozen popular herbs so that manufacturers can offer more safety information on product labels and thus guide consumers in using herbs responsibly. We are in the process of conducting a comprehensive review of the scientific and medical literature on bitter orange and to date we have found no plausible evidence suggesting it is unsafe when consumed orally in reasonable quantities.

Sincerely,

Mark Blumenthal
Founder and Executive Director
American Botanical Council
Austin, Texas
Editor, HerbalGram

A careful reading of the cited article reveals that increased blood pressure in humans occurred after the isolated compound synephrine (found in bitter orange) or bitter orange extract itself were injected intravenously into humans. That article acknowledges that there were no ill effects in humans when bitter orange was ingested, that is, consumed by mouth, as is done with foods and dietary supplements (dietary supplements are permitted only for ingestion, by law).

This is why you got to love Azul. He checks everything put on this board. Its a thurst for knowledge like his that helps all of us get ahead. If he had not questioned my research I would not have delved deep enough to find out where the discrepancy occured.
When I am able I will hit you up with Karma!!

 

[azul]

Hah, you fucker, I found the ultimate study showing the dangers of bitter orange: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...ve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15645567

 

[azul]

Well, since I can't find any scientific evidence to support my previous beliefs (you've converted me), I'll just post some supporting you:

"Early animal synephrine studies using high doses of isolated (purified) synephrine have been shown to raise blood pressure - but more recent human studies of citrus aurantoum extracts (standardized for synephrine) have not demonstrated any cardiovascular side effects. When used as directed, synephrine-containing supplements appear to be quite safe and should be treated as a mild stimulant (similar to a cup of coffee) with appetite controlling and mild thermogenic properties."

http://pharma-help.com/synephrine

 

[slat1]

Man... I'm exhausted. I would hate to be your girl friend. LOL.

I couldn't find any specific studies that showed it lowered blood pressure. Just reference material that says it has been used to do so in certain cultures. I do know this though. My training partner has been suffering nose bleeds again lately. He said he was doing nothing differently. I put the thread up when we figured out they started again when he ran out of bitter orange. He was using cayenne pepper to control it. We were both using bitter orange for a stimulant. It looks as though it may have contributed to helping the nose bleeds...

 

[azul]

Man... I'm exhausted. I would hate to be your girl friend. LOL.

I couldn't find any specific studies that showed it lowered blood pressure. Just reference material that says it has been used to do so in certain cultures. I do know this though. My training partner has been suffering nose bleeds again lately. He said he was doing nothing differently. I put the thread up when we figured out they started again when he ran out of bitter orange. He was using cayenne pepper to control it. We were both using bitter orange for a stimulant. It looks as though it may have contributed to helping the nose bleeds...

Well, I'm certain that few scientists would try to use bitter orange to lower blood pressure when it is generally (and falsely) believed that it increases it. Nonetheless, I'm glad that you proved that it does not raise it. If you find that Mexican study, feel free to post it and I'll see what it says.