Health and Beauty Benefits of Oranges

Juicy and sweet and renowned for its concentration of vitamin C, oranges make the perfect snack and add a special tang to many recipes; it is no wonder that they are one of the most popular fruits in the world. Oranges are generally available from winter through summer with seasonal variations depending on the variety.

Origin

Probably originated in Southeast Asia, oranges were already cultivated in China as far back as 2500 BC. In the late 15th century and the beginnings of the 16th century, Italian and Portuguese merchants brought orange trees in the Mediterranean area. The Spanish introduced the sweet orange in South America and Mexico in the mid-1500s.

Types of Orange

Clementines: the clementine is a seedless mandarin.
Kumquats: the kumquat is like a citrus fruit and has an edible skin. It is the most well known of the sort fortunella which is closely related to Citrus.
Mandarins: type of small orange with loose skin. The mandarin got its name because it was exploited by high-ranking government officials in China (mandarins).
Minneolas: are a crossing between a tangerine and a grapefruit and can be recognized by
"the little nose". Can be peeled manually. Is a type of Tangelo, a minneola is a specifically marketed tangelo.
Oranges: There are different types of oranges: navel oranges, Valencia oranges and blood oranges are the most cultivated races.
Tangelos: a tangelo is a crossing between a tangerine, a grapefruit and an orange. A specific kind of tangelo is the Ugli which is described further on this page.
Satsuma:is a very special seedling from Japan. Its skin is a bit tighter than the clementine and it doesn't have seeds as well.
Tangerines: a tangerine is an orange-red mandarin with a particular citrus taste. Can be peeled manually.
Uglis: a specific kind of tangelo, easier to peel. A crossing between a tangerine, a grapefruit and an orange. Looks really ugli and sometimes has brown spots. Can be peeled manually.

Nutrients in Oranges

Delicious and juicy orange fruit contains an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals for normal growth and development and overall well-being. Oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C and flavonoids. One orange (130 grams) supplies nearly 100 percent of the recommended daily dietary intake of vitamin C.
In addition, oranges are a good source of vitamin A, the B vitamins, amino acids, beta-carotene, pectin, potassium, folic acid, calcium, iodine, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, manganese, chlorine and iron.

Health Benefits of Orange

The combination of the high amount of anti-oxidant (vitamin C) and flavonoids in oranges makes it one of the best fruits in helping to promote optimal health.
Arteriosclerosis: Regularly consuming vitamin C retards the development of hardening of the arteries.

Cancer prevention: A compound in oranges called liminoid, has been found to help fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon. The high vitamin C content also acts as a good anti-oxidant that protects cells from damages by free radicals.

Cholesterol: The alkaloid synephrine found under the orange peel can reduce the liver's production of cholesterol. Whereas the anti-oxidant fights oxidative stress that is the main culprit in oxidizing the LDLs in our blood.

Constipation: Even though the orange "tastes acidic", it actually has an alkaline effect in the digestive system and helps stimulate the digestive juices, relieving constipation.

Damaged sperm, repair: An orange a day is sufficient for a man to keep his sperm healthy. Vitamin C, an anti-oxidant, protects sperm from genetic damage that may cause a birth defect.

Heart disease: A high intake of flavonoids and vitamin C has been known to halve the risk of heart diseases.

High blood pressure: Studies have shown that a flavonoid called hesperidin in oranges can lower high blood pressure.

Immune system: The strong content of vitamin C stimulates white cells to fight infection, naturally building a good immune system.

Kidney stones, prevent: Drinking orange juice daily can significantly drop the risk of formation of calcium oxalate stones in the kidney.

Skin: The anti-oxidant in orange help protect the skin from free radical damage known to cause signs of aging.

Stomach ulcer: Consuming vitamin C rich foods helps to lower the incidence of peptic ulcers and in turn, reduce the risk of stomach cancer.

Viral infections, protection against: The abundance of polyphenols have been shown to provide protection against viral infections.

Beauty Benefits of Oranges

Orange has toning and astringent properties and is great for improving the skin texture and complexion. It is a rich source of vitamin c, which is indeed a boon for the skin. Orange, when used as a beauty ingredient, has anti aging qualities and can make the skin firmer. The orange peel is as useful for skin as the orange itself. We have put together 7 beauty benefits of orange. Read on and add orange to your beauty routine.

It closes your pores

Oranges do have the capability of closing the pores. All you have to do is to squeeze the juice from one orange and apply it on the face like a face wash. Rinse it immediately. The orange juice shrinks the enlarged pores. The process that you have to follow for cleaning your enlarged pores is very simple. Just dip a cotton ball in orange juice and apply. After keeping it for 2 to 3 minutes you can just clean it. The vitamin C in the orange juice will add smoothness and glossiness to your skin.

 It gives you instant glow 

After reading the coming lines you are sure to fetch abundant amount of oranges the next time you go shopping. If you are applying the orange peel powder regularly during bath this will surely make your skin glowy and silky smooth. Not only this, it just revitalizes the skin and make it satin soft. This further has a long term benefit for your skin.

 It acts as a skin tonner 

During the hot summer days, when the harsh and harmful rays of the sun are damaging your skin, then oranges can act as a skin tonner. Rub half of the orange all over the face and leave it on for 5 minutes. Wash the face with cold water and feel the freshness and tonning in a trice.

 It cures acne

Orange is a citrus fruit and fruits which are rich in citric acid are an excellent material to cure acne. They act as natural astringent and helps in drying away the pimples. The fruit acid in orange juice exfoliates the skin. The process to apply this is very simple, just mash the grated orange peel to form a paste then apply it on the pimples and allow it to dry for 10 to 20 minutes. Continue doing this every day, till the pimple dries away and totally vanish.

 It acts as bleach

Stop trying the chemically formulated bleach product and try the natural bleach. The oranges act as natural bleach which is simple and easy to your pocket. All you have to do is to mix the orange peel powder in a little amount of milk. Apply the paste on the skin and keep it for 20 to 25 minutes. After the skin gets dried wash the face with cold water. This is something that you can try ever day other then chemical bleaches which are advised to use once in a month or so.

 Prevent wrinkles 

Orange has superb anti aging qualities. The age reversing antioxidants present in it helps to prevent wrinkles. The vitamin c in oranges increases the production of collagens which keeps skin stiff and moist. So, if you are spending on anti aging creams which are not only expensive but also harmful, then you can try eating oranges daily. That would definitely be a better option.

 Detoxifies the skin

Oranges does the work of detoxifying the toxin from the skin. This makes the skin look fresher and brighter. Eating oranges help to activate the body’s detoxification process. Orange increases oxygen in the skin and fights free radical.

Apart from all these beauty benefits, orange has manifolded other benefits that work wonder on the human body. It prevents the skin from skin cancer. So, this can be called as that wonder fruit which has numerous benefits.