Super Foods Blog

Enjoy Oranges For Good Health and Long Life

They come from the sunny states to brighten up our lives, starting with our morning glass of orange juice. Oranges in any form are great – be it the fruit, the fresh juice, the packaged juice, the jams, the jellies, the marmalade, the dressings, the toppings, the desserts.

Yes, oranges by any other name would bring as much health and freshness into our lives. The orange is part of the citrus fruit family and all of them are oh, so healthy for us. Throughout the ages, citrus fruits have been used for their taste, flavor and their nutritional value. The fact that they are said to add years to your life when had on a regular basis is of course, an added benefit.

The main ingredient in oranges is of course, vitamin C. However, that’s not all there is to the orange. It’s power-packed with more, lots more. It’s got 170 phytochemicals, with 20 carotenoid compounds. These are very strong cancer-fighting substances and it’s great for those who love their oranges to know that one of the best sources for these is the orange. Also present are limonoids which impart that slight bitter, tangy taste to all citrus fruits. These are also thought to be cancer-fighters and the orange is a rich source.

The best known fact about the orange is of course its vitamin C content.  It is this that has made the orange to be perceived as a health food. Just one orange, and an average-sized one at that, could give you over 90% of your daily requirement of vitamin C. So it pays to eat or drink up your oranges so you stay fit.

What exactly does vitamin C do to make it such an important asset as far as health goes? Well, it is basically a fighter. It fights cancer, it fights colds and very often, if you take it on time, it won’t allow a cold to get a toehold in your body. However, not everyone agrees on these properties of vitamin C and studies are still on to ascertain these claims. However, vitamin C is a great antioxidant as well as an essential nutrient. It is water soluble and it is known to repair the cell damage done by the free radicals in the body. It is also known to be one of the best substances to equip the immune system in our bodies. This vitamin is vital in keeping the immune system functioning perfectly so this is why it has the reputation of preventing colds as it acts as a deterrent to any disease invading the body.

The ideal way to take in vitamin C is through your diet rather than just popping pills to make up for the nutritional demands of your body. When you eat the orange or drink its juice, you are getting a lot more than just the vitamin C content in the fruit. You are also getting all that goodness that helps keep you free from disease and the substances that fight disease when it does strike.

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