Oranges are famous for their high concentration of vitamin C, which strengthens and bolsters the immune system, keeping you stronger during cold and flu season. While this is reason enough to eat an orange every day, this tasty little fruit also offers some other surprising benefits of oranges that can keep you healthy and looking your best year-round. Check out the following seven benefits of oranges, which may convince you it’s really an orange a day that keeps the doctor away!
1. Hydration
Your body needs adequate daily hydration to keep the skin smooth and radiant, and to ensure cells are healthy. Hydration also allows for better blood circulation, while dehydration can lead the blood to thicken and circulate more poorly.
You get the hydration you need from the water you drink, but also from the foods you eat. Citrus fruits are very high in moisture content, so they provide great hydration. Eating oranges during winter will not only strengthen your immune system but also keep your skin softer as the air around you gets drier.
2. Cancer prevention
If you’re looking for simple protection against many common cancer types, oranges are a perfect choice. Oranges contain phytochemicals called citrus limonoids, which can help to prevent a number of cancers including skin, breast, and colon cancer. The high content of vitamin A in oranges is also believed to also help prevent liver cancer.
3. Lower cholesterol
The pulp of oranges is a good source of fiber, and fiber is known to help lower cholesterol levels, thereby reducing your risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular problems. Soluble fibers such as found in oranges bind to cholesterol so that it won’t be so easily absorbed in the bloodstream. You’ll have double the benefit if you eat oranges in place of other snacks that might raise your cholesterol levels, such as chips and other fried foods.
4. Better digestion
The soluble fiber provided by the pulp of oranges can also aid digestion. Fiber binds to other foods and helps to break them down so your digestive system can absorb them more easily. When you eat adequate amounts of fiber every day, you have fewer digestive problems such as constipation and indigestion. You also get more vitamins and trace minerals from those foods, as they are more readily broken down and so more effectively carried through the bloodstream to all the cells of your body. Eating oranges means you’ll not only get the healthy vitamins and trace minerals they contain but will absorb more of these nutrients from your other foods as well!
5. Keeps you full
Another great benefit of the fiber and water content of oranges is that they help you to feel full. Both fiber and water fill up your stomach, so you’re less likely to feel hungry. This makes oranges a great snack between meals, especially if you need to go without eating for several hours (such as when you’re enduring that long stretch in the office between your lunch break and dinnertime).
6. Keeps the heart-healthy
Potassium is an electrolyte mineral that keeps the heart functioning and healthy. While most people assume that bananas are the best fruit for potassium, oranges are also full of this vital trace mineral. Add more oranges to your diet to keep your potassium levels adequately high and keep your heart healthy as well.
7. Fights free radicals
Free radicals are damaging agents that attack healthy cells and may cause chronic conditions like heart disease and certain cancers. These free radicals may come from sources like cigarette smoke, pollution, chemicals in household cleaners. Oranges contain antioxidants that fight free radicals, with vitamin C being the strongest of these. Eating oranges can, therefore, help your body repair some of the damage that free radicals do to your cells.
Of course, these are not the only benefits of oranges of the tasty orange. For example, oranges are also said to lower the risk of stroke, improve eye health, and keep your blood pressure levels healthy. Oranges are also a very convenient snack that you enjoy just about anywhere, and they’re a low-calorie way to satisfy your sweet tooth. With all these benefits, it’s no wonder that many are now enjoying an orange a day!
Also Read: 8 Exciting Health Benefits of Mango