Benefits of oranges for your immunity and health

Oranges have been around for more than 2000 years. The first oranges, believed it or not, were from China 500 b.c. and brought into Europe in the 15^th. Even then, we were globally connected in some way.

The bitter oranges (Citrus aurantium) are used for marmalade and jam, and their zest is used in liqueurs and other alcoholic flavouring. The sweet oranges (Citrus sinensis) are the Valencia, the navel, the blood oranges and Jaffa oranges. Oranges come from all over the World. They come from America, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Israel and China.

The most health benefit of Oranges are the vitamin C and flavonoids (anti-oxidant) content, even though they are not the highest. One orange will give you roughly between 51.1 (went down from before) of Vitamin C, even though to fight off a cold, you need much more than that, about 2000 mg a day. The combination of flavonoids and vitamin C in the orange, is the key of the health of the orange.

Hesperidin being one of the flavonoids in the oranges, has been shown to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol in animal studies, as well as having a strong anti-inflammatory property. This is if you are not reacting to the citric acid in oranges and other citric fruits. The highest concentration of Hesperidin is in the inner peel of the orange and in the inner white pulp. Oranges like grapefruit and apple, contain a substance called pectin. Pectin has been shown to lower cholesterol.

In order to choose an orange that has got more juice, is worth to know what to look for:

• Choose an orange that is heavier, they have more juice inside.
• Avoid oranges that are mouldy, bruised, soft, mouldy, or puffy.
• Oranges can be washed before peeling;

Different way of consume your oranges:

• Oranges can be eaten with their pulp on, by peeling them. Which is the best way to have oranges if you want to have the highest Hesperidin flavonoids to lower the cholesterol.
• Freshly squeeze them to get a juice, include the pulp as much as possible in the juice.
• You can blend them without the skin and create a smoothie with other fruits. Use the zest of the orange (scratch the skin to get the aromatic benefit of the orange and add it to your drinks or desserts, add some of the white of the skin underneath to get more hesperidin in the smoothie.
• You can blend cooked carrots, squash, rosemary and orange juices and have it as a cold soup. Add fresh oregano and you have an anti-biotics soup! Of course, you can add many other ingredients in the soup!

Warning: If you are allergic to oranges or citrus fruits please avoid oranges and substitute them with other high vitamin C content fruits and vegetables such as berries (if ok with them), peppers, kiwi, any other fruits that you are ok with, pears, mango, broccoli, cantaloupe, cauliflower, kale, papaya, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

Maria Esposito BSc (Hons) R-Nutritional Therapist – NAET – R-Craniosacral Therapy

(from the “encyclopaedia of healing food”, Michael Murray et al 2005)