Star Fruit (Averhoa bilimbi L.) Juice for The Prevention and Treatment of Hipercholesterolemia: A Literature Review

Abstract

Hypercholesterolemia can cause narrowed blood vessel walls in the kidneys, heart and eyes as well as affect the brain. In the heart causes coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis will cause a stroke. Cholesterol that increases is usually due to unhealthy diet, frequent consumption of fats derived from animals, so there is a relationship between hypercholesterolemia and the development of risk factors for atherosclerosis.This study used a literature review method that aimed to determine the effect of star fruit juice (Averhoa bilimbi L.) for the prevention and treatment of hypercholesterolemia. The database used in literature search is in the form of PubMed and Scholar with several keywords such as star fruit juice (Averhoa bilimbi L.) and hypercholesterolemia. Article selection is obtained after meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Based on the identification results, five articles were discussed. One of the ingredients from nature that can be useful as a cholesterol lowering is star fruit which contains flavonoids, pectin, and vitamin C. The phytochemical content of star fruit consists of alkaloids, tannins, quinones, flavonoids, saponins, and steroids, as well as triterpenoids. Flavonoid compounds have the ability to inhibit excessive LDL synthesis, so the risk of heart attack will be reduced. Pectin is useful as a cholesterol lowering by binding the process of cholesterol in the intestine and bile acids in the body and helps eliminate it through feces thus preventing its accumulation in the body, blood and on the walls of blood vessels. The results of this study found that there is one literature that shows that star fruit juice can prevent hypercholesterolemia but does not treat. There are 4 literature that shows there is an effect that star fruit juice can reduce hypercholesterolemia. There is a significant effect on reducing cholesterol by giving star fruit juice with an effective dose of star fruit juice for the elderly is 50 ml, 2 times a day morning and evening and the adult dose is 100 ml per administration.