Trials of the anti-inflammatory properties of hesperidin have yielded mixed results. One meta-analysis found that hesperidin, whether consumed through citrus juice or oral supplements, reduced the pro-inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in a non-dose-dependent manner. However, a second meta-analysis did not replicate these findings for CRP and IL-6, although it did find a significant decreased in levels of the inflammatory marker vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). These conflicting outcomes could be attributed to variability in study quality, methodology, and participant characteristics, necessitating further research to validate the anti-inflammatory properties of hesperidin.[1][2]
Additionally, one meta-analysis indicated that hesperidin supplementation led to significant reduction of several cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. These benefits included decreased triglyceride (TG) levels, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and systolic blood pressure (SBP). Notably, these effects were predominantly observed with hesperidin doses exceeding 500 mg per day and were considerably influenced by factors such as the duration of hesperidin treatment (typically more effective when exceeding 6 weeks) and participants’ BMI, age, and overall health status.[3]
Hesperidin also appears to promote blood flow, as demonstrated in one randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving participants with metabolic syndrome who took 500 mg of hesperidin daily for 3 weeks. Hesperidin improved blood flow by 2.5%, as assessed by flow-mediated dilation (FMD).[4] Another study noted an improvement in microcirculation (blood flow in the small vessels) 6 hours after supplementation on a full stomach with either hesperidin capsules or standardized orange juice given for 4 weeks to healthy but overweight men.[5] Despite these results being promising, it is still unclear whether these effects are long-lasting and whether they have an impact on blood pressure.
Furthermore, one RCT evaluated the impact of a synthetic form of hesperidin, hesperidin methyl chalcone (HMC), on muscle damage and pain associated with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) induced by an intense anaerobic exercise protocol. HMC supplementation improved muscle recovery, performance, and postural balance. The group taking HMC also showed increased physical performance (measured by the number of repetitions to failure) and improved muscle soreness during passive quadriceps palpation, although not during activities like walking up and down the stairs.[6]