Well being Advantages and Diet Details

If you’re a citrus fan, you’ve probably enjoyed your fair share of oranges.

Citrus sinensis, or the sweet orange, is the type people usually enjoy fresh and in juice form.

Sweet orange trees originated in China thousands of years ago and are now grown in many areas of the world, including the United States, Mexico, and Spain (1, 2).

Oranges are a treasure trove of nutrients and protective plant compounds, including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Studies show that consuming oranges regularly can benefit your health in a number of ways.

This article explains everything you need to know about oranges, including their nutritional value, potential health benefits, and more.

Here is the nutritional breakdown for 1 orange (140 grams) (3):

• Calories: 66
• Water: 86% by weight
• Protein: 1.3 grams
• Carbohydrates: 14.8 grams
• Sugar: 12 grams
• Fiber: 2.8 grams
• Fat: 0.2 grams
• Vitamin C: 92% of the daily value (DV)
• Folate: 9% of the DV
• Calcium: 5% of the DV
• Potassium: 5% of the DV

Like most fruits, oranges are mostly made up of carbohydrates and water, are very low in protein and fat, and are relatively low in calories.

Oranges are a good source of fiber. One orange (140 grams) contains around 10% of the DV (3).

Getting enough fiber daily is essential for overall health and helps keep your digestive system healthy by supporting regularity and fueling your beneficial gut bacteria.

In addition, a high-fiber diet is linked to a number of benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease, colon cancer, and obesity (4, 5, 6).

Oranges are also rich in certain nutrients, particularly vitamin C and folic acid.

One 140 gram orange provides 92% of your daily vitamin C requirement. This water soluble nutrient is essential to your health. Your body uses it for immune function, collagen synthesis, iron absorption, and more (7).

Folate is a B vitamin that plays a role in metabolism, fetal and placental development, and many other important processes (8).

In addition to vitamin C and folic acid, oranges provide smaller amounts of other nutrients, including calcium, potassium and thiamine (vitamin B1).

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Oranges are a great source of fiber and a rich source of vitamin C and folic acid, along with many other beneficial nutrients.

Oranges are an excellent source of various bioactive plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. These include flavonoids, carotenoids, and vitamin C.

Flavonoids

Oranges are packed with phenolic compounds – especially flavonoids, which contribute to most of their antioxidant properties.

• Hesperidin. Hesperidin, a citrus flavonoid that is one of the key antioxidants in oranges, may have antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects in the body (9).
• Naringenin. Naringenin is another citrus flavonoid that has been linked with health benefits. Drinking orange juice rich in naringenin can help improve blood vessel function and strengthen antioxidant defenses in the body (10).

Carotenoids

All citrus fruits are rich in carotenoid antioxidants, which are responsible for their rich orange, red, and yellow colors.

One study found that drinking fresh orange juice helped increase carotenoid levels in the skin, which are good indicators of the body’s overall antioxidant status (11).

• Beta-cryptoxanthin. This compound acts as an antioxidant in the body and protects cells from oxidative damage. Additionally, your body can convert beta-cryptoxanthin to the active form of vitamin A (12).
• Lycopene. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that is found in high quantities in red-fleshed navel oranges (Cara Cara oranges). It has several health benefits, and getting adequate nutrition can help protect you from heart disease (13, 14, 15).

vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the most famous and best-researched antioxidants.

It is important to maintain an optimal intake of foods and beverages rich in vitamin C, such as oranges. Higher food intake and blood levels of vitamin C have been linked to lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and death from all causes (16).

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Oranges are a rich source of various botanicals that can be responsible for many of their health benefits.

According to research, regular consumption of citrus fruits like oranges can benefit your health in many ways.

Helps promote heart health

Heart disease is currently the leading cause of premature death worldwide.

A number of nutrients and phytonutrients found in oranges, including vitamin C, flavonoids, and carotenoids, can help promote heart health and reduce your risk of heart disease when consumed in optimal amounts (16, 17, 18 ).

Plus, consuming oranges and orange juice regularly can help reduce risk factors for heart disease.

A review of 10 high quality studies found that consuming orange juice reduced several risk factors for heart disease, including (19):

• Blood sugar
• LDL (bad) cholesterol
• the inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP)

Diets high in citrus fruits can protect against chronic diseases

In addition to protecting heart health, regular consumption of oranges and other citrus fruits can help reduce your risk of other health conditions, including certain types of cancer and diabetes.

Studies suggest that a diet high in citrus fruits can help reduce the risk of several types of cancer, including (20, 21, 22, 23):

• Lung cancer
• Oral cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Head and neck cancer

In addition, a diet high in fruits, including citrus fruits, can help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes (24).

A study of over 7,000 Australian adults found that people with moderate total fruit consumption, including oranges and other citrus fruits, were 36% less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes after 5 years than those with the lowest fruit consumption (24).

Remember, this study found benefits related to eating fruit in general, rather than isolating the benefits of eating whole oranges in particular. In addition, the same beneficial effects were not seen in people who drank fruit juice.

This is likely because fruit juice has much less fiber and a stronger effect on blood sugar compared to whole fruit.

Although citrus fruits, when consumed regularly, can help reduce the risk of some medical conditions, remember that your diet and overall lifestyle are far more important than any individual food.

Anemia prevention

Eating foods rich in vitamin C can help prevent anemia, a condition that occurs when your body is deficient in adequate amounts of the mineral iron.

While oranges are not a good source of iron, they are an excellent source of vitamin C, which improves your body’s ability to absorb iron (7).

One study found that adding 120 grams of orange to meals consisting of rice or flatbread with lentils or a vegetable-based dish called saag increased iron bioavailability by up to 10.7% (25).

Try sprinkling orange juice over lentil and bean dishes or adding spinach salads with orange slices to improve iron absorption.

May help support immune system health

Regular consumption of fruits that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds can help promote healthy immune function.

Oranges and other citrus fruits are excellent sources of vitamin C.

This nutrient is critical to the function of immune cells such as natural killer cells. It’s also necessary for a process called apoptosis, in which old, damaged cells die, then are cleared out and replaced with new healthy cells (26).

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and protects against oxidative damage that can otherwise impair immune system health and increase the risk of disease (27).

Many other compounds in oranges, including hesperidin and naringenin, have anti-inflammatory effects.

Chronic inflammation can negatively affect the immune response, so regular consumption of foods rich in anti-inflammatory substances can help support immune function (28).

Fiber is another nutrient that oranges provide that can promote immune system health. Your body needs fiber to maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria, which affect the development and function of the immune system (28).

summary

Oranges can promote heart health, reduce the risk of some chronic diseases, improve iron absorption, and support a healthy immune response.

Orange juice is one of the most widely consumed juices in the United States (29).

It’s sweet, refreshing, and provides a number of important nutrients and beneficial plant compounds.

While orange juice and whole oranges are both nutritious, there are some differences between the two.

Fiber content

One of the main differences between pure orange juice and whole oranges is that the juice contains much less fiber.

One cup (248 ml) of pure orange juice has almost twice as many calories as a whole orange and contains almost twice as much sugar. Also, orange juice contains much less fiber than whole oranges, so it’s much less filling (3, 4).

As a result, fruit juice is much easier to consume than whole oranges. Drinking too much fruit juice is not good for your overall health as it could contribute to excessive calorie consumption.

Added sugar

Also, some orange juices contain added sugars, which should be kept to a minimum for optimal health.

While good quality orange juice can be a healthy choice if consumed in moderation, choosing whole fruit more often is a smart choice.

summary

Fruit juices are more concentrated in sugar and contain less fiber, making them much less filling than whole fruits.

Oranges don’t have many known side effects.

Although rare, there are allergies to orange. If you are allergic to oranges, you should avoid eating oranges or drinking orange juice (30).

In people with heartburn, consuming oranges can make symptoms worse. Because oranges contain organic acids, mainly citric acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) (31).

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Some people are allergic to oranges, and their acidity can make heartburn symptoms worse. Overall, however, oranges pose few health risks.

Oranges are one of the most popular fruits in the world – they are as nutritious as they are tasty.

They are a good source of vitamin C as well as several other vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Some studies show that consuming citrus fruits like oranges regularly can help lower your risk of certain health conditions like heart disease.

Put simply, this bright citrus makes a great addition to a healthy diet.