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You probably already know citrus fruits are packed with vitamin C. In fact, a medium orange manages to give you 130% of the daily requirement of this amazing nutrient.
I'm here to tell you these fragrant, juicy fruits have much more to offer.
Keep reading to find out!
1. They're a Great Source of Fiber
Women should try to consume about 25 grams of fiber per day, and citrus can help you meet that goal. One orange serves up 2.3 grams of fiber and a tangerine has 1.6 grams. About two thirds of the fiber in citrus fruit is soluble fiber, which has been linked to lower cholesterol and helps regulate glucose levels.
The remaining fiber in citrus is insoluble, and when added to the digestive system, helps keeping us regular.
2. They Can Boost Iron Absorption
The high levels of vitamin C in one orange (68 mg), grapefruit (77 mg), lemon (18 mg) or lime (13 mg) helps your body to better absorb iron. That’s especially important if you’re a vegetarian or vegan. Your body can’t absorb the non-heme iron found in plants as effectively as it can the heme iron in meat and seafood so if you’re getting iron mostly from plants, pairing it with vitamin C can increase your absorption by five to six times.
3. They're Good for Your Heart
Several compounds in citrus fruits can improve markers for heart health, including soluble fiber and flavonoids. More than 100 phytochemicals in citrus fruits reduce heart-harming inflammation while the fiber they contain helps lower LDL cholesterol.
4. They Support Your Immune System
A lot of people think Vitamin C can prevent colds. That's unfortunately not true.
While vitamin C can't keep you from getting sick but research has shown that it can slightly reduce the duration of the common cold. Since vitamin C is water-soluble—meaning our bodies don’t hold onto it like the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K—it’s important to eat a bit every day.
5. They Have a Low Glycemic Index
Citrus fruits have relatively low glycemic index scores on the 100-point scale. That means they won’t spike your blood sugar as much as some other foods.
An orange has a score of 45, and a grapefruit 25. In comparison, raisins have a score of 64, a white bagel 72, and Gatorade 89! This means the sugar in citrus fruit is released into your bloodstream slowly, offering you a steady feeling of energy, without a crash later on.
6. They can help boost your brain health
Antioxidant-rich flavonoids in citrus fruits may help improve brain health and reduce the risk of neurodegenerative disease like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. These diseases typically happen due to a breakdown of cells, and flavonoids help reduce that breakdown improving brain health and preventing disease.
REMINDER: It's always better to eat the whole fruit rather than just drink it's juice.
A serving of juice delivers much more sugar and way less fiber than a serving of whole fruit.
Try to add a serving of citrus fruit to your day. It's an easy way to fill your body with nutrients while protecting you heart, gut and brain.
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