Hesperidin has a variety of mechanisms of action and significant effects in cardiovascular protection, mainly in the following aspects:
Lowering blood pressure: Hesperidin can help lower blood pressure by dilating blood vessels, and its mechanism may be related to increasing nitric oxide levels. Nitric oxide is an important vasodilatory factor, helps to relax the smooth muscle of blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure.
Improves circulation: Hesperidin helps to enhance the function of the microcirculatory system, promoting blood flow and reducing the risk of thrombosis. This helps to improve blood supply to the heart and the entire body, preventing cardiovascular disease.
Antioxidant effect: Hesperidin is a potent natural antioxidant that scavenges free radicals in the body, reduces oxidative stress and protects the heart from damage. Oxidative stress is one of the most important mechanisms in the development of cardiovascular disease, and the antioxidant effect of hesperidin helps to slow down this process.
Lowering blood lipid levels: Hesperidin is able to lower serum concentrations of total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol), while increasing levels of HDL (good cholesterol). This helps prevent cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, as high blood lipids are an important risk factor for atherosclerosis.
Anti-inflammatory effects: Hesperidin has certain anti-inflammatory properties that inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators. In cardiovascular disease, inflammatory response often accompanies the progression of the disease, the anti-inflammatory effect of hesperidin helps to reduce this damage.
Inhibition of CaMKII activation: A research team from Peking University found that hesperidin is able to play a cardioprotective role by inhibiting the activation of CaMKII (calmodulin-dependent kinase II), specifically blocking its role in myocardial injury in an ATP-competitive manner. Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury is an important therapeutic target for ischemic heart disease, and this mechanism of action of hesperidin provides new ideas for the prevention and treatment of ischemic heart disease and heart failure.