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Oranges are not just delicious fruits; they are packed with essential nutrients that contribute to overall health. From supporting immune function to promoting heart health, oranges offer a wide array of benefits. In this article, we will explore 7 health benefits of Orange
Health Benefits of Orange
1. You'll notice some weight loss
For all of us food lovers, oranges are the ultimate snack. One large orange contains only 87 calories, which makes it a low-calorie, nutrient-dense food. That serving offers approximately 4 grams of dietary fiber, which is best known for its ability to improve gut health. But it doesn't end there. It's also 4 times more filling than a croissant, (A croissant) and it'll prevent you from feeling hungry all the time.
2. Your skin will look healthier
Even though we don't want to face it, as we grow older, our bodies don't look as radiant as they used to. And our skin, as well as other parts, can suffer from free radical damage. To help you understand this, think of how metals begin to rust when they're exposed to air and humidity. Now, unfortunately, there's no magical cure to prevent aging, but oranges can help to slow it down.
The large amounts of water in oranges also help your skin to stay hydrated, giving it that dewy glow. But, let's not forget the most important compound: vitamin C - Which helps your body produce more collagen. As we age, the amount of collagen our body produces decreases. It decreases by approximately 1% every year. Vitamin C boosts your body's natural production of collagen.
3. No more foggy thoughts
Ok, folks, it's a NO – BRAINER, that oranges will give you some food for thought. Hehe. All kidding aside. The highest concentration of Vitamin C is located in the brain, and the slightest deficiency can have a serious impact in the long run. A recent study from the University of Reading claims that oranges are a huge source of phytochemicals, or you might know them better as flavonoids.
Now, there's a subclass of flavonoids called flavanones. That is a strategic ingredient. These flavanones have been shown to improve memory by activating pathways in the hippocampus: the part of the brain responsible for learning and memories. So, you can go grab that brain-boosting fruit of yours while learning a thing or two.
4. No more hair loss or greying
Sometimes we see grey hair on our heads, and we feel it, deep in our souls: this is the beginning of the end. But all drama aside, maybe we're just not eating enough oranges. Oranges are abundant in vitamins A and C. And, as you remember from what I told you earlier, (remember?) vitamin C helps in the normal production of collagen in your body.
That collagen not only helps to strengthen your skin but your hair as well. Since oranges are also rich in anti-oxidants, they protect hair strands against oxidative stress. Uh, what? Let me break it down for you. Oxidative stress is an imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals in our bodies.
Many things can cause free radicals to be generated. For example, the food we eat, our environment, and even the air we breathe. So, free radicals are generated just by going through your daily routine. However, eating an adequate dose of oranges has been linked to preventing hair loss and greying of hair. But let's not leave vitamin A out of the equation.
According to the National Institute of Health, tHealthtamin has been found to speed up the hair growth process by encouraging the production of sebum. Now, for those of you who aren't into biology, sebum is that waxy, oily substance that your body produces. You can see it on your skin when it gets too oily, or on your scalp when you haven't washed your hair for a few days.
5. Protects your vision
You see, hehe…Scientists at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research in Sydney have found that eating just one orange every day reduces your risk of weak eyesight by up to 60%. The study was focused on the relationship between eye diseases and the flavonoids found in oranges. So, to simplify this, it acts as a magical protective shield to prevent age-related blindness. Surprisingly, other foods rich in flavonoids don't have the same results that oranges have.
But it's not just the flavonoids. Collagen plays its part here too. It helps to give structure to your eyes. More specifically, the cornea and sclera – make up the outer tunic of your eyeball. Now, some animals produce their own vitamin C, so they don't need to find alternative sources. Unfortunately, humans can't. So, we have to look for it in our food.
6. Your heart will be healthier
Now that we have our eyes protected, let's move on to our hearts. Oranges are rich in potassium. This helps to keep your nervous system functioning healthily and can lower high blood pressure. So how does it do that exactly? Well, it's more complicated than it seems. Our nervous system sends messages between our brains and our body.
These commands are delivered in the form of nerve impulses, and they help to regulate your heartbeat, contractions, and other functions of your body. Now, these impulses are generated by sodium ions that are moving into your cells, while the potassium ions are moving out of your cells.
When the sodium levels are high, they can increase your blood pressure. However, consuming enough potassium can balance things out by removing excess sodium from your system. According to the National Institute of Health, people who had high blood pressure, and increased their intake of potassium, noticed significant differences. Both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased.
However, a lack of this mineral can have the opposite results. Oranges are also abundant in folate, a B vitamin that helps your body lower its levels of an amino acid called homocysteine. This is usually found in red meat and is linked to poor heart health. Eating oranges will also start to decrease the bad cholesterol in your bloodstream, but like everything natural, it takes time.
7. They'll keep your immune system boosted
Ok, this one is the most obvious. But we tend to forget the health benefits oranges offer to our immune system. So, let's refresh our memory on how things work. If we could assign a role to our immune system, it would be the Ninja Turtles. It's a team of tissues, proteins, cells, and organs all working together to fight microorganisms, germs, and infections.
Not having enough vitamin C in our diets can prevent wounds from healing on time, can cause our bones to become weaker, and can even cause our joints to become painfully swollen. But above all, it can cause us to get ill more frequently. Eating an orange every day can disarm free radicals, and prevent them from damaging the environment of the cells.
This will allow your immune system to fend off sickness, and even serious diseases. So, now that we've covered the - orange juicy - details of Vitamin C, let's talk about the orange peels. Should we eat'em or leave'em? Well, it depends on whether you like them or not. One thing's for sure: they're not nearly as tasty as the pulp.
But as long as you're eating an organic orange peel that isn't coated with chemicals, then it should be fine. The orange peel has a lot more fiber than the pulp; it's abundant in calcium, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and vitamin A. But there's a catch: they're not digested very easily. So, you need to be careful.
