
Sweet, juicy oranges make a delicious and healthy snack or
addition to a meal. A whole orange contains only about 85 calories and has no
fat, cholesterol or sodium. And, of course, "oranges are well known for
their vitamin C content," said Laura Flores, a San Diego-based
nutritionist.
Oranges may boost your immune system and improve your
skin; they also aid with heart health, cholesterol levels and other issues.
Oranges may additionally help reduce
the risk of respiratory diseases, certain cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcers
and kidney stones.
Orange juice is also packed with nutrients but does not
contain the fiber of a whole orange. Orange pith, the white substance between
the peel and the flesh, is high in fiber. Furthermore, it is easy to consume
more calories when drinking orange juice than when eating an orange, warns the Centers
for Disease Control.
Here are the nutrition facts about oranges from the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration, which regulates food labeling through the
National Labeling and Education Act:
Nutrition Facts
Serving size:
1 medium orange (5.5 oz / 154 g)
Calories 80
Calories from Fat 0
*Percent Daily Values (%DV)
are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. |
Amt per Serving
|
%DV*
|
|
Amt per Serving
|
%DV*
|
|
Total Fat 0g
|
0%
|
|
Total Carbohydrate 19g
|
6%
|
||
Cholesterol 0mg
|
0%
|
|
Dietary Fiber 3g
|
12%
|
||
Sodium 0mg
|
0%
|
|
Sugars 14g
|
|
||
Potassium 250mg
|
7%
|
|
Protein 1g
|
|
||
Vitamin A
|
2%
|
|
Calcium
|
6%
|
||
Vitamin C
|
130%
|
|
Iron
|
0%
|
Health benefits of oranges
Immune system
Most citrus fruits have a good deal of vitamin C, and
oranges have high levels even compared to their tangy brethren. Vitamin C
protects cells by scavenging and neutralizing free radicals, explains a
2010 article in
the medical journal Pharmacognosy Reviews. Free radicals may lead to chronic
conditions such as cancer and heart disease. Not only may oranges help reduce
the risk of chronic conditions, but they may also boost a person's immunity
when dealing with everyday viruses and infections like the common cold.
Skin
Vitamin C also helps keep skin looking beautiful, by
helping fight against skin damage caused by the sun and pollution. It is vital
to collagen production and may help reduce wrinkles and improve the skin's
overall texture, according to the Cleveland
Clinic.
Cholesterol
All the fiber in oranges may help lower cholesterol levels,
because it picks up excess cholesterol compounds
in the gut and pushes them out in the elimination process. A 2010 study published in
the journal Nutrition Research found that drinking orange juice for 60 days
decreased low-density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol or "bad
cholesterol") in people with high cholesterol.
Heart
Oranges contain vitamin C, fiber, potassium and choline,
which are all good for your heart, so the fruits may give your ticker a big
boost. Potassium, an electrolyte mineral, is vital for allowing electricity to
flow through your body, which keeps your heart beating. Lack of potassium can
lead to arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat. According to one 2012 study,
people who consumed 4,069 mg of potassium each day had a 49 percent lower risk
of death from heart disease compared with those who consumed only about 1,000
mg of potassium per day. According to Flores, "the potassium found in
oranges helps to lower blood pressure, protecting against stroke." She
noted another heart-related benefit, pointing out that oranges are "high
in folate, which is beneficial in lowering levels of homocysteine, a
cardiovascular risk factor."
Diabetes
Oranges are high in fiber, which can help lower blood sugar
levels in people with type
1 diabetes and improve blood sugar, lipids and insulin levels in people
with type 2
diabetes. The American
Diabetes Association lists oranges, along with other citrus fruits, as a
superfood for people with diabetes.
Digestion and weight loss
Oranges are high in fiber, which aids in digestion by keeping
you regular. It is also good for weight loss. "Oranges are a low-fat,
nutrient-rich food with a low glycemic index, which make it an ideal food to
consume to protect against obesity, which can lead to other diseases such as
heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke," Flores
told Live Science. The glycemic index is a measure of how food affects a
person's blood sugar levels: Foods with a high glycemic index (such as white
bread) cause glucose levels to spike quickly after they are eaten, while foods
with a low glycemic index (such as vegetables and legumes) cause blood sugar
levels to rise more slowly and remain more constant over time.
Vision
Oranges are vitamin A rich. This nutrient contains
carotenoid compounds like lutein, beta-carotene and zeaxanthin, which can help
prevent age-related macular degeneration, an incurable condition that blurs
central vision. Vitamin A also helps your eyes absorb light, and it improves
night vision. Furthermore, the American
Optometric Association reports that vitamin C can help reduce the risk of
cataracts and may slow the progression of macular degeneration.
Cancer
"The vitamin C in oranges is associated with a reduced
risk of colon cancer due to preventing DNA mutations from taking place,"
Flores said. Studies have shown that about 10 to 15 percent of colon
cancers have a mutation
in a gene called BRAF.
A 2004 study published in the
American Journal of Epidemiology showed that consuming bananas, oranges and
orange juice in the first two years of life may reduce the risk of childhood
leukemia.
Health risks
Oranges are great for you, but you should enjoy them in
moderation, Flores warned. "Eating too many oranges has some uncomfortable
side effects," she said. "When eaten in excess, the greater fiber
content can effect digestion, causing abdominal cramps and could also lead to
diarrhea."
Though oranges are relatively low in calories, eating
several of the fruits in a day can add up and may lead to weight gain. It is
also possible to have too much vitamin C (more than 2,000 mg a day). An excess
of this nutrient may lead to diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, bloating or
cramps, headaches, insomnia, or kidney stones.
"Because they are a high-acid food, [oranges] can contribute
to heartburn, especially for those who already suffer [from heartburn]
regularly," said Flores. People with gastroesophageal
reflux disease (GERD, also called acid reflux disease) may experience
heartburn or regurgitation if they eat too many oranges.
People who are taking beta-blockers should be careful not
to consume too many oranges. These medicines increase potassium levels and, if
mixed with too many potassium-rich foods like oranges and bananas, can lead to
an excess of potassium in the body. This is a significant concern for people
whose kidneys are not fully functional, as the additional potassium will not be
effectively removed from the body.
Orange peels: edible or
poisonous?
Orange peels are not poisonous and, as many cooks know,
orange zest can pack a big flavor punch. While orange peels are edible, they
are not nearly as sweet or juicy as the pulp. They can also be difficult to
digest and, unless you're eating an organic orange peel, covered in chemicals.
If you do eat the peel, you'll get a good amount of
nutrients. "Orange peel actually has more fiber then the fruit inside
contains," Flores said. "It also has flavonoids in it that contain
nutritious benefits." Flavonoids are compounds found in many foods.
They are known to have antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory effects, which
relieve pressures on the heart.
Additionally, orange peels contain vitamins A, C, B6 and
B5; calcium; riboflavin; thiamin; niacin; and folate. One way to get some of
the nutrients is by eating the inner part of the peel and leaving the tough
outer part. "The pith of the orange — the white part between the skin and
fruit — can be sour or bitter but actually contains just as much vitamin C as
the fruit itself, with a good deal of fiber," Flores said.
Orange facts
Some fun facts about oranges include:
- Oranges originated around 4000 B.C. in Southeast Asia, from
which they spread to India.
- Oranges are unknown in the wild. They are a hybrid of the
pomelo, or "Chinese grapefruit" (which is pale green or yellow),
and the tangerine.
- The orange tree is a small tropical to semitropical, evergreen,
flowering plant. It grows up to 16 to 26 feet (5 to 8 meters).
- Oranges are actually modified berries.
- The fruit came before the color. The word "orange"
derives from the Arabic "naranj" and arrived in
English as "narange" in the 14th century, gradually losing the
initial "n."
- "Orange" was first used as the name for a color in
1542.
- Oranges are classified into two general categories: sweet and
bitter. The sweet varieties are the most commonly consumed. Popular
varieties of the sweet orange (Citrus
sinensis) include Valencia, navel and Jaffa oranges, as well
as the blood orange, a hybrid species that is smaller in size, more
aromatic in flavor and marked by red hues running throughout its flesh.
- Bitter oranges (Citrus
aurantium) are often used to make jam or marmalade, and their
zest is used as the flavoring for liqueurs such as Grand Marnier and Cointreau.
- The name "navel orange" comes from the belly-button
formation opposite the fruit's stem end. The bigger the navel, the sweeter
the orange.
- Moorish, Portuguese and Italian traders and explorers
introduced sweet oranges into Europe around the 15th century, after
finding the fruits on voyages to Asia and the Middle East.
- Renaissance paintings that display oranges on the table during
"The Last Supper" are wrong. Oranges were not cultivated in the
Middle East until sometime around the ninth century.
- Christopher Columbus planted the first orange trees in the
Caribbean islands in the late 15th century after he brought the seeds
there on his second voyage to the New World.
- Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon brought oranges to Florida in
the 16th century, and Spanish missionaries brought them to California in
the 18th century,
- Commercial oranges are often bright orange because an
artificial dye, Citrus Red Number 2, is injected into their skins at the
level of 2 parts per million.
- Oranges can be stored at room temperature or in the
refrigerator. They will generally last the same amount of time, two weeks,
with either method, and will retain nearly the same level of vitamin
content.
- The best way to store oranges is loose rather than wrapped in a
plastic bag, because they can easily develop mold if exposed to moisture.
- In 2008, the top five orange-producing countries, by millions
of tons produced, were Brazil (18.3), the United States (9.1), Mexico
(4.3), India (4.2) and China (3.4).
- In Spanish, "anaranjear" means, literally, to
"orangicate" — to pelt something with oranges.
- About 85 percent of all oranges produced are used for juice.
- There are over 600 varieties of oranges worldwide.
- A typical orange has 10 segments.
- Orange peel sprinkled over a vegetable garden is an effective
slug repellent.
- The white orange blossom is the state flower of Florida.