Orange is a citrus fruit and very beneficial for your body, like most other citrus fruits. An orange offers lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber, with minimal calories. While orange juice is also full of nutrients, you tend to miss out on most of the fiber, so it is better to consume the whole fruit. An orange is a great snack between meals and is easy to carry and eat.

Nutritional history of oranges

One medium orange contains 80 calories, 0 grams of fat, 250 milligrams of potassium, 19 grams of carbohydrate (14 grams of sugar and 3 grams of dietary fiber) and 1 gram of protein. Oranges also contain various vitamins and minerals like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, selenium and copper.

Health benefits of oranges

  1. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that combats the formation of free radicals that can cause cancer. While adequate vitamin C intake is necessary and very beneficial, the amount necessary to consume for therapeutic purposes for cancer is beyond oral intake.
  2. Oranges contain a good amount of potassium, choline, fiber and vitamin C, which is also good for the heart. An increase in potassium intake along with a decrease in sodium intake is the most important dietary change that a person can make to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease, according to Mark Houston, M.D, M.S, an associate clinical professor of medicine at Vanderbilt Medical School and director of the Hypertension Institute at St. Thomas Hospital in Tennessee.
  3. It is also helpful for blood pressure patients because oranges are rich in potassium and have vasodilation effects which help to control the pressure of blood in our body.
  4. According to the American Heart Association, eating higher amounts of a certain compound found in citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit may lower ischemic stroke risk for women. Those who ate the highest amounts of citrus had a 19 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke than women who consumed the least.
  5. Oranges are also good for the skin because of the presence of antioxidants that can help fight skin damage and even help reduce wrinkles. Basically, it helps in formation of collagen of skin.

Make oranges an essential part of your diet. It’s a seasonal fruit, so make sure you eat them every day as long as they are available. Not only will it boost your immunity and provide health benefits, it will even act as a low calorie food to aid in weight loss.