Experience the several wonders of orange

By Mutiat Alli

Oranges are one of the most popular fruits around the world. While they are delightful as a snack or as a recipe ingredient, for many Americans, it is their juice that is most associated with good health, having a reputation for being an integral part of a healthy breakfast.

Oranges are round citrus fruits with finely-textured skins that are, of course, orange in color just like their pulpy flesh.

They usually range from about two to three inches in diameter. Oranges are classified into two general categories sweet and bitter with the former being the type most commonly consumed.

Popular varieties of the sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) include Valencia, Navel and Jaffa oranges, as well as the blood orange, a hybrid species that is smaller in size, more aromatic in flavor and has red hues running throughout its flesh.

Bitter oranges (Citrus aurantium) are oftentimes used to make jam or marmalade, and their zest serves as the flavoring for liqueurs such as Grand Marnier and Cointreau.

Here are some of the health benefits of orange: A very good source of fiber: Oranges’ health benefits continue with their fiber, which has been shown to reduce high cholesterol levels thus helping to prevent atherosclerosis.

Fiber can also help out by keeping blood sugar levels under control, which may help explain why oranges can be a very healthy snack for people with diabetes.

In addition, the natural fruit sugar in oranges, fructose, can help to keep blood sugar levels from rising too high after eating.

The fiber in oranges can grab cancer-causing chemicals and keep them away from cells of the colon, providing yet another line of protection from colon cancer.

And the fiber in oranges may be helpful for reducing the uncomfortable constipation or diarrhea in those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.

In addition to oranges’ phytonutrients, vitamin C, and fiber, they are a good source of folate, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), vitamin B1, potassium, copper, pantothenic acid, and calcium. Prevent kidney stones: Want to reduce your risk of calcium oxalate kidney stones? Drink orange juice.

A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that when women drank 1/2 to 1 litre of orange, grapefruit or apple juice daily, their urinary pH value and citric acid excretion increased, significantly dropping their risk of forming calcium oxalate stones.

Help prevent ulcers and reduce risk of stomach cancer: An orange a day may help keep ulcers away, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

In this study, researchers evaluated data from over 6,000 adults enrolled in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Study participants with the highest blood levels of vitamin C had a 25% lower incidence of infection with Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori), the bacterium responsible for causing peptic ulcers and in turn, an increased risk for stomach cancer.

Researchers are uncertain whether H. pylori lowers blood levels of vitamin C or if high blood levels of vitamin C help protect against infection either way, eating an orange or drinking a glass of orange juice each day may help prevent gastric ulcers.

Lead researcher in this study, Dr. Joel A. Simon at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, urges people who have tested positive for H. pylori to increase their consumption of vitamin C-rich foods since this may help them combat H. pylori infection.

Protect respiratory health: Consuming foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, an orange-red carotenoid found in highest amounts in oranges, corn, pumpkin, papaya, red bell peppers, tangerines, and peaches, may significantly lower one’s risk of developing lung cancer.

A study published in the September 2003 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention reviewed dietary and lifestyle data collected from over 60,000 adults in Shanghai, China.

Those eating the most cryptoxanthin-rich foods showed a 27% reduction in lung cancer risk. When current smokers were evaluated, those who were also in the group consuming the most cryptoxanthin-rich foods were found to have a 37% lower risk of lung cancer compared to smokers who ate the least of these healthprotective foods.

Protection against rheumatoid arthritis New research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition adds to the evidence that enjoying a daily glass of freshly squeezed orange juice can significantly lower your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Data collected by the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer Incidence (EPIC)-Norfolk study, a population-based, prospective study of over 25,000 subjects, showed that study participants with the highest daily intake of the carotenoids, zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin, had a much lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis compared to individuals consuming the least of these beneficial phytonutrients.

Those whose intake of zeaxanthin was highest were 52% less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, while those with the highest intake of cryptoxanthin had a 49% reduction in risk.

Pretty dramatic benefits for doing something as simple as enjoying a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice each day! A Vitamin C for antioxidant protection and immune support: You may already know that oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C but do you know just how important vitamin C and oranges are for good health?

Vitamin C is the primary water soluble antioxidant in the body, disarming free radicals and preventing damage in the aqueous environment both inside and outside cells.

Inside cells, a potential result of free radical damage to DNA is cancer. Especially in areas of the body where cellular turnover is especially rapid, such as the digestive system, preventing DNA mutations translates into preventing cancer.

This is why a good intake of vitamin C is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. Free radical damage to other cellular structures and other molecules can result in painful inflammation, as the body tries to clear out the damaged parts.

Vitamin C, which prevents the free radical damage that triggers the inflammatory cascade, is thus also associated with reduced severity of inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Free radicals also oxidize cholesterol. Only after being oxidized does cholesterol stick to the artery walls, building up in plaques that may eventually grow large enough to impede or fully block blood flow, or rupture to cause a heart attack or stroke.

Since vitamin C can neutralize free radicals, it can help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol.

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Vitamin C, which is also vital for the proper function of a healthy immune system, is good for preventing colds and may be helpful in preventing recurrent ear infections.

Possible Cholesterol-Lowering Benefits: The ARS team is now investigating the potential cholesterol-lowering effects of limonin.

Lab tests indicate that human liver cells produce less Apo B when exposed to limonin.

Apo B is a structural protein that is part of the LDL cholesterol molecule and is needed for LDL production, transport and binding, so higher levels of Apo B translate to higher levels of LDL cholesterol.