Oranges

ORANGES are citrus fruits that belong to the same family as pomelo, clementine, mandarins, yuzu, lemons and grapefruit. They grow on small evergreen trees that are between five metres and eight metres tall. They need a tropical to semi-tropical climate to flourish.

The sweet, juicy flesh of oranges is refreshing and provides a wide variety of nutrients; the lovely zest also contains volatile oils that give off a refreshing, citrusy aroma as well as having useful phyto-compounds beneficial to health.

An orange peel contains more than 60 types of flavonoids and more than 170 different types of phytonutrients besides being a rich source of pectin. Vitamin C is also present in the peel. These all contribute to helping lower the risk of human cancers such as of the breast, skin and colon. The easiest way to incorporate an orange peel in your diet is by grating the skin onto yoghurts, salads and cakes that have frosting or icing on them.

Oranges are low in calories, contain no cholesterol or saturated fats and are rich in dietary fibre. This dietary fibre in the form of pectin acts as a bulk laxative that protects the colon by decreasing the exposure time of toxic substances binding to cancer-causing chemicals that might be present in the colon.

Oranges are high in vitamin C as well as have significant amounts of dietary fibre, folate, vitamin B1, potassium, copper, pantothenic acid and calcium. These are all essential for good health. Try the recipes to boost your health.