The Benefits of oranges For health include improving the immune system, skin appearance, heart health or cholesterol levels. But it can also help reduce the risk of more serious illness. Keep reading to find out!
Sweet and juicy oranges are a delicious and healthy snack and a great complement to other foods. An average orange contains about 85 calories and has no fat, cholesterol or sodium content, which makes it a very healthy and essential food to complete the 5 pieces of fruits and vegetables that are recommended to consume daily. And of course, we can not forget its well-known vitamin C content.
To select the best oranges on the market it is recommended to choose those oranges that have a softer texture in their shell and are firm. The heavier ones with respect to their size will have a juice content higher than those that are lighter in weight. The smaller ones will be more juicy than the bigger ones, as well as those that have a finer skin.
Health benefits
Next, we explain in detail how the oranges work on your body and your body and what positive benefits it brings to your health.
1- Immune System Support
Most citrus fruits are loaded with vitamin C, as is the case with oranges. This vitamin protects cells because it neutralizes free radicals, which can lead to chronic diseases such as cancer or heart disease. In addition, they help to improve the immune system, which protects us against infections and viruses.
2- Improves the appearance of the skin
Vitamin C also helps keep skin bright, and helps fight sun damage and pollution. It is a vital source of Collagen And helps to reduce and prevent wrinkles, in addition to improving the overall texture of the skin.
3- Reduces cholesterol
The fiber found in oranges helps to lower cholesterol levels because it absorbs excess cholesterol from the intestine and eliminates it. A 2010 study published in the journal Nutrition Research Showed that drinking orange juice for 60 days reduced the Lipoprotein Of low density (LDL cholesterol or"bad cholesterol") in people with high cholesterol levels.
4- Reduces cholesterol
The components of oranges, among which we find fiber, potassium and hill , Help improve the state of your heart. Potassium, which is an electrolyte mineral, is vital to allow electricity to flow through your body, which keeps your heartbeat. Lack of potassium can lead to arrhythmias or what is the same, an irregular heartbeat.
According to a 2012 study, people consuming 4,000 mg of potassium a day had a 49 percent lower risk of death from heart disease compared to those who consumed only about 1,000 mg of potassium per day. Oranges also have a high content of folic acid, which is beneficial in reducing the levels of Homocysteine , A cardiovascular risk factor.
5- Helps reduce diabetes
The fiber we find between the peel and orange segments can help lower blood sugar levels in people with type 1 diabetes and improve blood sugar, lipid, and insulin levels in people with type 2 diabetes .
6- Improves digestion and helps in weight loss
Oranges are low in calories and rich in nutrients, with a low glycemic index, making it an ideal food to fight against obesity , Which can lead to other diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems.
The glycemic index is a measure of how foods affect a person's blood sugar levels. Foods with a high glycemic index (such as white bread) glucose They rise rapidly after eating them, while foods with a low glycemic index (such as vegetables and legumes) cause blood sugar levels to increase more slowly and remain more constant over time.
7- Helps improve vision
Oranges are rich in vitamin A, nutrient containing Carotenoids as the Lutein , Beta-carotene Y Zeaxanthin , Which can help prevent age-related ocular degeneration.
Vitamin A also helps your eyes absorb light, and improves night vision. Moreover, the American Optometric Association (AOA) reports that vitamin C may help reduce the risk of cataracts and may slow the progression of macular degeneration.
Dismantling the myth
From very small, we grew up believing that we had to consume the orange juice fast so that the vitamins did not leak to him, but what is certain in this?
According to Revista Española de Nutrición Humana y Dietetica "There is a false belief that vitamin C in home orange juice is not very stable, when only extreme conditions (eg heating it to 120 °) considerably decrease that vitamin, which is preserved perfectly in the juice for up to 12 hours later, although The taste may become more bitter."
Juan Antonio Calzado, technical director of the Echevarne Laboratory, did an analysis of the vitamin C found in orange juice. He isolated this component and checked the vitamin levels after three, six and twelve hours. The result confirmed that vitamin C remained at the same level at the end of the analysis as when the orange was squeezed.
Add oranges in your diet
Here are some original recipes that will help you include the orange in your daily menu:
Orange Mousse
Are needed:
- 1 can of condensed milk
- 3 Natural yogurts
- 3 Oranges
- Orange zest
Squeeze the juice from the oranges and add the condensed milk, the three yogurts and the orange zest. Beat in a blender jar for 5 minutes uninterrupted. Serve in glasses, garnish with orange and bring to the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Orange Poles
Are needed:
- 3 cups almond milk
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 Oranges divided into segments
- ½ Cup of strawberries cut into wedges
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the contents into ice molds. If you do not have them you can use glasses and introduce spoons that work like sticks. Add fresh pieces of orange and strawberries. Finally, take them to the freezer for 4 to 6 hours. And ready!
Orange Smoothie
Are needed:
- 1 banana
- 100 g of strawberries (about 15)
- 2 Oranges
- 1 Greek yogurt
- Ice
Squeeze the juice of the two oranges. Add all the chopped ingredients to a blender jar and whisk until all ingredients are integrated.
Orange sponge
Are needed:
- 1 Natural yogurt
- 3 eggs
- 3 measures cup of flour yogurt
- 2 cup measures of sugar yogurt
- 1 cup measure of oil yogurt
- 1 Orange
- 16 g yeast powder equivalent to 1 tbsp
- Butter
Preheat the oven to 180º while preparing the cake dough. Grate orange skin and reserve. In a bowl, add chopped orange, sugar, eggs, zest, oil and yogurt and crush until it is a homogenous mixture.
Add the sifted flour and yeast to this mixture and mix again until it is integrated. Pour the mixture into a pan previously buttered (to facilitate the demolding of the sponge cake) and bake it for about 35 minutes.
One trick to know if the cake is ready is to stick it with a stick. If it comes out clean, it means you can remove it and you will have to leave it a few more minutes. Take it out of the oven when it is ready and leave it to stand for about 30 minutes or until it is tempered. You can decorate it with slices of orange above.
Some curiosities about oranges
- Oranges originated around 4000 BC. In Southeast Asia, from where they were exported to India.
- Oranges are a hybrid between Chinese grapefruit (which is green or yellow) and mandarin.
- The orange tree is a small tropical evergreen tree with flowers. It grows from 5 to 8 meters.
- The fruit appeared before the color. The word"orange"is derived from the Arabic"Naranj"and came to English as"narange"in the 14th century, gradually losing the initial"N".
- The word"orange"was first used as the name of a color in 1542.
- Oranges are classified into two general categories: sweet and bitter. Sweet varieties are the most commonly consumed.
- Bitter oranges (Citrus aurantium) are often used to make jam, and their husk is used as a liqueur flavoring.
- Arab, Portuguese and Italian traders introduced sweet oranges in Europe around the 15th century, after discovering this fruit on their travels to Asia and the Middle East.
- The Renaissance paintings that show the oranges on the table during"The Last Supper"are wrong. Oranges were not cultivated in the Middle East until the 9th century.
- Christopher Columbus Planted the first oranges in the Caribbean islands in the late 15th century after bringing the seeds he brought on his second voyage to the New World.
- The Spanish explorer Ponce de León Brought oranges to Florida in the sixteenth century, and the Spanish missionaries took them to California in the eighteenth century.
- Commercial oranges are bright orange because an artificial colorant, Citrus Red 2, is injected into your skin.
- Oranges can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Usually, its duration is the same, two weeks, with either method, and will retain the same level of vitamins.
- In 2008, the five largest orange producing countries, per million tonnes produced, were Brazil (18.3), the United States (9.1), Mexico (4.3), India (4.2) and China (3.4).
- About 85 percent of all oranges produced are used for juice.
- There are more than 600 varieties of oranges around the world.
Now that you have discovered all the benefits of orange you have no excuse to include it in your daily diet, either as a dessert, as a snack or in some of the delicious recipes we have recommended.