The health benefits of orange
Rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, orange has many health benefits.
The main interest of citrus fruits for health lies in their richness in flavonoids, compounds of the polyphenol family. These powerful antioxidants work in synergy with vitamin C and organic acids. Flavonoids and aromatic compounds from citrus peels also have protective action against veins and capillaries. They are used for this purpose to make drugs that protect blood vessels.
Orange has a moderate energy intake (45 kcal / 100 g). It perfectly justifies its good vitamin reputation: an average fruit (150 to 180 g net) covers almost the entire recommended daily intake of vitamin C (80 mg for adults).
A particularly important contribution in winter, the full season of orange. It is during this period that we have to deal with microbial and viral aggressions, fatigue and reduced form ...
Vitamin C stimulates the body's defense reactions by activating the formation of antibodies and the phagocytic activity of white blood cells. It is also involved in the biosynthesis of adrenaline and corticosteroids, the stress hormones. This is how vitamin C increases resistance to attack.
But it also plays an important role in cell synthesis (especially connective tissues, bones and cartilage), and in the absorption of iron: processes whose smooth running also promotes the body's defenses.
Thanks to its vitamin C, present at an optimal and stable rate, the orange undeniably contributes to vitamin security and good form of the consumer.
The vitamin C content of the orange is very stable: the acid is indeed protected by the acidity of the medium (presence of the natural organic acids of the fruit) and by the thick skin which constitutes an effective protection against the oxygen in the air (which destroys vitamin C).
Over time, the decrease in vitamin C is slow, and extremely small: the loss does not generally exceed 5 to 10%, even after several weeks.
Help with familial hypercholesterolemia
Researchers have shown that daily consumption of 750 ml of orange juice increases HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) in people with high cholesterol [1] [1 ‘]. When HDL cholesterol rises, the cardiovascular risk decreases. Researchers attribute this effect to a flavonoid in the orange: hesperidin. [2].
Hesperedin is the main flavonoid of orange and is found in large quantities in the white part of the peel and the membranes of the fruit, as well as in smaller concentrations in the juice and seeds. [3]
The vitamin B9 (folic acid) content of citrus fruits also helps prevent cardiovascular disease. Folic acid is said to reduce the blood level of homocysteine, an amino acid provided by proteins, which is one of the risk factors for these diseases. [4]
Interesting against cancer
Like all fruits and vegetables, citrus fruits, by their richness in antioxidants, help prevent cancer. They seem to protect in particular stomach and larynx cancers. On the other hand, citrus terpenes make detoxifying enzymes more effective against carcinogens.
Read also: When vitamin C targets cancer cells
A natural anti-inflammatory?
Thanks to its flavonoids, orange also has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body [5]. In people who suffer from diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, consuming foods rich in flavonoids would indeed be beneficial.
A friend of the bones
You can eat oranges without risking decalcification! And on the contrary, orange is one of the fruits that most effectively provides calcium to the body. In orange, in fact, calcium is relatively abundant (40 mg per 100 g, instead of 5 to 15 mg in most other fruits). In addition, the calcium / phosphorus ratio is 2.5, which is an optimal value for the proper use of calcium. Finally, the presence of organic acids (and in particular citric acid) also plays a favorable role in calcium assimilation. Thus, the biological use of calcium from orange appears close to that of milk calcium, a model in this area. Therefore, the orange can only promote the good calcium status of the body.
Our diet, by providing a lot of meat and grains, acidifies the body. However, the organic acids of citrus fruits (which give them their tangy flavor) paradoxically have an alkalizing effect: by combining with minerals like potassium, they form bicarbonates which compensate for the acidity of
the body. This property of citrus fruits is particularly interesting in the fight against osteoporosis. High acidity forces the body to draw calcium from the bones to maintain the acid-base balance. Citrus fruits counterbalance the acidifying effect of our diet without drawing on our bone reserves.
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