Oranges are bursting with minerals and vitamins, but can they really help in fighting colds? Let us take a closer look at how these citrus fruits can help your health.
Oranges are segmented and round citrus fruit with a pitted peel. Its taste can vary from sweet and juicy to bitter, depending on the variety. More common varieties include Seville, Valencia and Hamlin. Oranges are available the whole year round, except for some varieties like blood oranges, which have a shorter season.
7 Health Benefits of Orange:
1. Boosts Your Immunity
Orange is a rich source of vitamin C. Just 1 medium-sized orange can fulfil almost 72% of your daily requirement for vitamin C.
Vitamin C plays an important role as an antioxidant, by protecting your body against the damage that are caused by free radicals generated in the body. It therefore helps in reducing inflammation in immune related conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Studies also suggested that vitamin C plays an essential role in strengthening your immune responses of the body, thus protecting against recurring cough and cold or any other common infections.
2. Good for Diabetics
Oranges are rich in fibre content, which of oranges has the ability to keep a track of sugar levels in the body, preventing diabetes. It is also a good choice for diabetics.
Also, oranges contain a sweet taste, and since diabetics are not allowed to eat sugary foods, they can consume oranges.
3. Fights Heart Disease
One of the reasons why some people get heart disease is because their arteries are blocked due to consumption of junk food and unhealthy lifestyles.
Oranges contain flavonoids such as hesperidin, that helps in reducing cholesterol and prevents your arteries from getting blocked. This protects you from various cardiovascular diseases and heart attack.
4. Helps Lower Cholesterol
Orange does not contain any cholesterol, but they can help in lowering the levels of cholesterol in your body. The vitamin C present in in oranges is the antioxidant in oranges that contributes to their ORAC value of 2,103.
Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or ORAC, are used to measure antioxidant levels with cardiovascular benefits. Vitamin C helps in neutralizing the free radicals that oxidize cholesterol, which is what makes it stick to your artery walls.
5. Skin Health
Oranges are loaded with beta-carotene, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps in protecting the cells from damage. Beta-carotene protects your skin from free radicals and helps in preventing the signs of aging.
6. Prevents Constipation
Oranges are a very rich source of insoluble and soluble fibre, that helps keep your stomach and intestines healthy by preventing problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. The fibre content in oranges add bulk to the digested food and thus reduces transit time of feces, which prevent straining and constipation.
7. Promotes Brain Development
Folic acid and folate present in oranges promote brain development and keep the vital organ in good condition. These nutrients make orange a very healthy fruit for pregnant woman, as this can prevent the baby from having neurological disorders later.
