Orange trees originated in China thousands of years ago and are now grown in many areas around the world, including the United States, Mexico, and Spain
Oranges are a treasure trove of nutrients and protective plant compounds, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Studies show that consuming oranges regularly may benefit your health in several ways.
This article explains everything you need to know about oranges, including their nutritional value, potential health benefits.
Like most fruits, oranges mainly comprise carbs and water, contain very little protein and fat, and are relatively low in calories. Oranges are a good source of fiber. One orange (140 grams) packs around 10% of the DV
Getting enough fiber on a daily basis is essential for overall health and helps keep your digestive system healthy by supporting regularity and fueling your beneficial gut bacteria.
Plus, diets rich in fiber are associated with a number of benefits, including decreased risks of heart disease, colon cancer, and obesity (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
Oranges Are Also High In Certain Nutrients, Especially Vitamin C And Folate.
One 140-gram orange covers 92% of your daily vitamin C needs. This water-soluble nutrient is essential for your health. Your body uses it for immune function, collagen synthesis, iron absorption, and more.
Folate is a B vitamin that plays a role in metabolism, fetal and placental development, and many other important processes.
In addition to vitamin C and folate, oranges provide smaller amounts of other nutrients, including calcium, potassium, and thiamine (vitamin B1).
SUMMARY
Oranges are a good source of fiber and a rich source of vitamin C and folate, among many other beneficial nutrients.
High In Beneficial Plant Compounds
Oranges are an excellent source of various bioactive plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. These include flavonoids, carotenoids, and vitamin C.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the most well-known and well-researched antioxidants. It’s essential to maintain optimal intakes of vitamin-C-rich foods and beverages like oranges. Higher dietary intake and blood concentrations of vitamin C have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and death from all causes.
Helps Promote Heart Health
Heart disease is currently the world’s most common cause of premature death.
A number of nutrients and plant compounds found in oranges, including vitamin C, flavonoids, and carotenoids, may help promote heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease if you consume them at optimal levels.
Plus, regularly consuming oranges and orange juice may help reduce heart disease risk factors.
One review of 10 high quality studies found that consuming orange juice reduced several heart
In addition to protecting heart health, regularly consuming oranges and other citrus fruits may help reduce the risk of other health conditions, including certain types of cancer and diabetes, lung cancer, mouth cancer, stomach cancer, head and neck cancer.
Anemia Prevention
Consuming vitamin-C-rich foods may help prevent anemia, a condition that occurs when your body lacks adequate amounts of the mineral iron.
Although oranges are not a good source of iron, they’re an excellent source of vitamin C, which enhances your body’s ability to absorb iron.
One study found that adding 120 grams of orange to meals composed of rice or flatbread with lentils or a greens-based dish called saag enhanced the bioavailability of iron by as much as 10.7%.
May Help Support Immune Health
Regularly consuming fruits, which are high 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 like natural killer cells. It’s likewise necessary for a process called apoptosis, in which old, damaged cells die, then are cleared out and replaced with new healthy cells.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and helps protect against the process of oxidative damage, which otherwise can negatively affect immune health and increase disease risk. Oranges may benefit heart health, reduce the risk of some chronic diseases, enhance iron absorption, and support a healthy immune response.
Fiber Content
One of the main differences between pure orange juice and whole oranges is that juice is much lower in fiber.
One cup (248 mL) of pure orange juice has nearly double the calories of a whole orange and contains almost twice as much sugar. Plus, orange juice contains much less fiber than whole oranges, so it’s much less filling.
As a result, fruit juice is much easier to overconsume than whole oranges. Drinking too much of any fruit juice isn’t good for your overall health because it could contribute to excessive calorie consumption.
SUMMARY
Fruit juices are more concentrated in sugar and contain less fiber, making them much less filling than whole fruit.
