Like a ray of sunshine in the winterweary produce aisle, oranges not only brighten your grocery cart but might even outshine apples for healthy eating. Despite that familiar keeps the doctor away adage, the Overall Nutritional Quality Index (ONQI, see the May 2009 Healthletter) rates oranges every bit as high as apples. Oranges are a tasty source of fiber and vitamin C, and science keeps finding new ways they benefit your body.Navel oranges, the most convenient variety for eating, are available from November through May, but peak in January through March- just when we most crave affordable fresh fruit. Valen cias, the most popular juice orange, are available from February through October, peaking in summer. Native to Asia, oranges were brought to Europe in the 15th century by the Moors and Portuguese and Italian traders. Christopher Columbus, who introduced so many New World foods to Europe, returned the favor by bringing orange seeds to the Caribbean on his second voyage. Subsequent explorers planted the Florida sunshine tree in the 16th century, and Spanish missionaries took oranges to California in the 18th century.You may have grown up thinking of oranges as a special holiday treat. Thanks to improved transportation and new uses for orange byproducts, today this nutritious fruit is an affordable everyday choice. (For a fresh idea for using oranges-in a salsa with seafood-see the recipe on page 8.)From scurvy to ulcers
Oranges best-known nutritional benefit is their rich cache of vitamin C-about 130% of the Daily Value (DV) per orange. Vitamin C wasnt isolated in the laboratory until 1932, but its power to prevent scurvy was known centuries earlier, as sailors (limeys) carried citrus on long voyages. Even the scientific name for vitamin C-ascorbic acid-derives from the Latin for no scurvy.Vitamin C is vital for the bodys production of collagen, a key connective protein. Lacking adequate collagen, tiny blood vessels separate and leak, causing the bleeding gums and red splotches characteristic of scurvy. Today, vitamin C is being studied for a wide range of other health effects. Its most popularly credited benefit-fighting the common cold-stands on scientifically shaky ground, however. Except for extreme cases like competitive skiers or marathoners, theres little evidence vitamin C prevents or treats the common cold. (See our December 2009 Special Report.)Besides vitamin C, oranges contain a wealth of lesser-known antioxidants, including more than 170 phytonutrients and 60 flavonoids. Of particular current interest are compounds called limonoids, which scientists at the USDAs Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are studying for cholesterol-lowering benefits. Other researchers are investigating limonoids apparent anticancer properties.Other intriguing research on antioxidants found in oranges includes:
Polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs), found in orange peel, significantly lower unhealthy cholesterol levels in laboratory animals. Grating a little well-washed orange peel onto a salad or into a beverage not only adds-literally- zest, but a dose of antioxidants.
Beta-cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid that helps give oranges their distinctive color, has been associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer. A study of more than 60,000 Chinese found that those with the highest intake of foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, including oranges, were 27% less likely to develop lung cancer.
Another carotenoid in oranges, zeaxanthin, may help reduce your risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Data from the EPIC-Norfolk study on more than 25,000 Europeans showed that those with the highest consumption of zeaxanthin from foods such as oranges were 52% less likely to develop RA.
Orange juice has also been associated with prevention of calcium oxalate kidney stones. And high blood levels of vitamin C may combat ulcers-and, in turn, stomach cancer-by reducing levels of Heliobacter pylori bacteria.
| Getting Squeezed Its fine to start your day with a glass of orange juice-but dont make juice the only way you enjoy fruit. A cup of juice contains only half a gram of dietary fiber, compared to three grams in a whole medium orange. Studies have also shown that juices lose half or more of the biologically active compounds found in the original fruit. And even the healthiest juice represents liquid calories- 110 in a cup of OJ-that dont make you feel full (whereas a whole orange can suppress hunger for up to four hours).When shopping for orange juice, skip most of the brands with additives. Extra vitamins in OJ are well shy of the amounts in a multivitamin, and other additives such as glucosamine for joints simply arent backed by solid science. The 50 milligrams of omega-3s in Healthy Heart juice hardly compares to the 1,700 milligrams in a three-ounce portion of salmon. Added calcium and vitamin D, though, are roughly what youd get from a glass of milk. Plant sterols, added to some juices, have been shown effective in improving cholesterol levels; one glass provides 0.8 grams, a little less than half the recommended amount.Avoid juice blends that are less than half juice plus added sugar. And why pay the same price for light juices that contain 60% water and stevia sweetening? Just water down your own OJ. |
Pros, no cons
Oranges benefit your health in more ordinary ways, too, by delivering essential nutrients and fiber in a juicy, portable package. A World Health Organization (WHO) report concluded that citrus fruits help protect against cardiovascular disease by supplying not only vitamin C and other antioxidants, but also folate (9.9% of DV in one orange) and potassium (6.8%). Oranges are also good sources of thiamin (7.3%), vitamin A (5.4%) and calcium (5.2%), while light on calories-only 80 in a medium orange.One orange provides 12.5% of the DV of dietary fiber-most of which is lost when squeezed into juice form. If youve avoided oranges because youre shunning carbs, think again: Most fruits contain quality carbohydrates that release their energy slowly. Oranges have a low glycemic index (GI), about 44; Tufts research has associated consumption of low-GI foods with a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARM).Another reason some people avoid citrus is concern over Gastro-Esopha – geal Reflux Disease (GERD). But a 2006 Stanford study concluded theres insufficient evidence that acidic foods such as oranges contribute to GERD.One large orange (3 1/16 diameter) counts as one cup toward your daily goal of 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit (see
| Buy oranges with smoothly textured skin that are firm and heavy for their size, indicating a higher juice content. Smaller fruit with thinner skins are typically juicier. Fully ripened oranges are highest in antioxidants. Dont worry about non-uniform color (perfect oranges may get that way from Citrus Red #2 dye), but do avoid mold or soft spots. Although oranges are among fruits most likely to contain pesticide residue, because the peel is mostly discarded they dont rank among the Environmental Working Groups Dirty Dozen produce most important to buy as organic www.foodnews.orgStore oranges loose, not in the supermarket plastic bag. Whether in the refrigerator or at room temperature, they last about two weeks with little loss of nutrients. |