Putting the squeeze on fat

How an orange could be the answer to peeling off the kilos.

Want to peel off the kilos? Hello, orange!

In a world where we pay a fortune for fancy superfoods (we’re looking at you, Acai berries) and expensive supplements, one of the world’s most nutrient-rich foods is probably sitting right in front of you now – an orange. What’s so good about this juicy, zesty orb that costs less than $1? It’s not only packed with vitamin C, which helps boost your immunity, produce more collagen and thus healthier skin, and reduce inflammation, it also contains a compound called nobiletin, which may significantly decrease body fat. In a recent Canadian study, researchers extracted nobiletin from oranges and placed it into the diet of morbidly obese mice and found that the mice became noticeably leaner and had lower levels of insulin resistance and blood fats – even while continuing to eat a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet. The study also showed that in mice that already had all the negative symptoms of obesity, nobiletin helped reverse those symptoms and even started to regress plaque build-up in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis. The next step is to begin human trials to see if the same positive metabolic effects can be replicated.

So, what are you waiting for? Add a splash of orange to your day to squeeze out the benefits.