Anti-oxidants in oranges help protect skin from free radical damage known to cause signs of aging. An orange a day can help you look young even at 50.
Oranges, being rich in Vitamins B6, help support the production of haemoglobin and also help keep blood pressure under check due to the presence of magnesium.
Oranges are also a very nutritionally dense food that is renowned for its vitamin C content and all the health benefits that come along with it, but oranges have much more to offer than just vitamin C.
Oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C. One orange supplies 116.2 per cent of the daily value for vitamin C. Good intake of vitamin C is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer as it helps to get of free radicals that cause damage to our DNA.
Vitamin C, which is also vital for the proper function of a healthy immune system, is good for preventing colds and preventing recurrent ear infections.
According to a study by US and Canadian researchers, a class of compounds found in citrus fruit peels called Polymethoxylated Flavones (PMFs) have the potential to lower cholesterol more effectively than some prescription drugs without side effects.
Fibre in oranges help by keeping blood sugar levels under control thereby making oranges a healthy snack for people with diabetes. The natural fruit sugar in oranges, fructose, can help keep blood sugar levels from rising too high after eating.
Consuming foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, an orange-red carotenoid found in highest amounts in oranges, corn and pumpkin may significantly lower one's risk of developing lung cancer.
Herperidin is also a strong anti-inflammatory. It is important to note that herperidin is mostly found in the peel and inner white pith of the orange.
According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, women, who drank half to one litter of either apple, grapefruit, or orange juice daily, increased their pH level of their urine and citric acid excretion. This in turn significantly decreased their risk of forming calcium oxalate stones.
Oranges originated thousands of years ago in Asia from the region of southern China to Indonesia where they were then spread to India. Somewhere around the 15th century, groups of European explorers had found oranges in Asia and decided to bring them back to Europe.