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Top 15 Surprising Reasons You Should Eat More Oranges
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Oranges, those sunny, happy, bright colored fruits that everyone loves to snack on. They are often eaten by athletes because they give you a quick burst of energy when needed. However, these fruits have so much more to offer than just a quick snack. They are so loaded with healthy goodness; we should eat them as often as we can.
First, take a look at a few interesting facts about oranges that you never knew:
- The country that produces the most oranges isn’t the state of Florida, in America, but Brazil.
- Navel oranges are called that because of that funny indentation at the bottom of the orange skin that looks like a belly button!
- 18th Century sailors took oranges and sauerkraut on ships to prevent scurvy
- When Queen Victoria reigned, oranges were given as presents on Christmas day in England.
- The two most common varieties of oranges Navel and Valencia oranges.
- After chocolate and vanilla, orange is the world’s third favorite flavor.
- In the first century AD, the Romans brought young orange trees all the way from India to Italy.
- Christopher Columbus brought orange seeds with him. He planted orange orchards in Haiti.
- By 1518, oranges had made their way from Haiti to Panama, Mexico, and Brazil.
Now that you are up to speed on your orange facts, let’s take a look at the top 15 reasons why you should be eating an orange every day!
1. Stops hair loss
Bet you never knew that about oranges! The high vitamin C content in oranges is something required by your body to make collagen, which is what makes up the tissues in your hair. Forget about bald patches, just eat more oranges and ensure that your hair stays on your head, and not in your brush.
2. Protects your kidneys
Drinking orange juice regularly can prevent kidney diseases as well as reduce the risk of developing kidney stones.
3. Improves heart health
This fruit is simply bursting with potassium, a mineral that is very important for helping your heart to function properly. Should your body become low on potassium, you can develop an abnormal heart rhythm, known as arrhythmia.
4. Fights viral infections
Oranges contain polyphenols, which protect the body from viral infections.
5. Promotes stomach health
Oranges are an excellent source of fiber, which can keep your entire digestive system healthy. Diets that is high in fiber helps to protect you from problems like constipation and stomach ulcers.
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6. Important for brain development
Folic acid and folates promote healthy brain development as well as keep your organs in tip top shape, and oranges have tons of both. In fact, oranges are an especially an important fruit for pregnant women as it ensure the baby will have healthy development of their brain.
7. Improves immunity
One orange will give you more than 100 percent of your daily required intake of vitamin C. This important vitamin improves your body’s immune system, which will help to keep you from diseases and infection.
8. Lowers cholesterol
Oranges are full of soluble fiber, which means that they can help lower cholesterol.
9. Lowers your risk of chronic disease
As you know, oranges are loaded with vitamin C. This important vitamin protects the cells in your body by killing off free radicals, which are known to cause diseases such as arthritis and heart disease.
10. Relieves and prevents constipation
Oranges are full of soluble, dietary fiber, which stimulates digestive juices in the stomach and digestive tract and can relieve, as well as prevent, constipation.
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Photo credit: bigstock
11. Supports eye health
Oranges are an excellent source of carotenoid compounds, which your body will convert into vitamin A. This vitamin is super important for eye and skin health.
12. Helps regulate high blood pressure
Hesperidin, a flavonoid found in oranges, helps to regulate high blood pressure. Oranges are also a good source of magnesium, another mineral vital to your blood pressure.
13. Supports and protects healthy skin
Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that protects the skin from being damaged by those free radicals and prevents the signs of premature aging and wrinkles. Oranges are loaded with beta-carotene! Find out more foods that give you balanced hormones and great skin.
14. Alkalize the body
Although you might think of oranges as being acidic, that only applies to them before you eat them. Once consumed, the alkaline minerals are released into the body and help to offset our typical acidic diet. In this respect, oranges are similar to lemons.
15. Protects you from cancer
Oranges are a treasure chest when it comes to citrus limonoids, which are proven to fight against a number of cancers including colon cancer, stomach cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer.
Oranges will keep at room temperature for about a week to 10 days but keep for as long as 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Don’t keep them in the plastic bag, but store them loose in the fruit container of your fridge.
A word to the wise about oranges:
Oranges are one of those crops that are sprayed several times with pesticides and anti-fungal agents. Buy organic oranges when possible, or at the very least wash them well in cold running water. If you want to use orange zest, always buy organic so you don’t have to worry about pesticides inside the peel.
