7 Reasons You Should Add These Fruits to Your Diet
Why you should consider Eating Citrus Fruits and making it a daily lifestyle and living too.
Citrus fruits are nutritious and contain phytochemicals that can protect against several diseases, including cancer, heart disease, brain disorders, and kidney stones.
However, be careful to consume whole fruits and not too much fruit juice, as the high sugar can lead to problems.
Lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits fall into this category, as do many other hybrids and varieties.
They offer a variety of health benefits, including boosting the immune system and fighting cancer.
How to Identify a Citrus Fruit?
Citrus fruits appear on flowering trees and shrubs. They are characterized by a leathery peel and a white core that protects the juicy segments.
They are native to Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and possibly Southeast Asia. Today, they are grown in tropical and subtropical areas all over the world.
The most important developing countries include Spain, Brazil, China, the United States, Mexico and India.
All types of citrus fruit are available all year round. The peak season for oranges and grapefruits in the northern hemisphere is from mid-December to April of every year.
Below here are examples of Citrus Fruits:
Sweet oranges: Valencia, navel, blood orange, cara care Mandarins: Satsuma, Clementine, Tangor, Tangelo Limes: Persian lime, key lime, kaffir lime Grapefruit: white, ruby red, oroblanco Lemons: Eureka, Meyer
They are a good source of fiber
Citrus fruits are rich in soluble fiber, which lowers cholesterol and improves digestion.
Citrus fruits are a good source of fiber. Just one cup of orange slices contains four grams of fiber.
In comparison, it is recommended to consume 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you eat. It is estimated that only 4% of men and 13% of women in the US consume this amount.
Fiber has several health benefits, including improving digestive health and aiding in weight loss. Oranges are particularly rich in soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol.
Citrus fruits are low in calories
Citrus fruits are low in calories, which makes them a good choice for people who want to reduce or maintain their weight.
If you want to watch your calorie intake, citrus fruits are a good choice.
They are low in calories, but their water and fiber content will help you feel full.
It Reduces your risk of kidney stones
Eating citrus fruits can reduce the risk of kidney stones in some people by increasing the citrate content in the urine. Kidney stones are painful mineral crystals.
They can form if your urine is very concentrated or if you have above-average amounts of stone-forming minerals in your urine.
One type of kidney stone is caused by low levels of citrate in the urine.
Many fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, can increase citrate levels in the urine, reducing the risk of kidney stones.
Drinking citrus juices and eating these fruits can be a natural alternative to potassium citrate supplements.
Helps fight or protect against cancer
The protective effect of citrus fruits on a variety of cancers has been extensively studied. Many studies have linked citrus fruits to a lower risk of certain types of cancer.
In one study, people who ate one grapefruit a day or drank one serving of grapefruit juice had a lower risk of lung cancer.
These fruits contain several phytochemicals, including flavonoids, which may help protect against cancer.
Very rich in vitamins and phytonutrients
Citrus fruits are very nutritious and contain a variety of vitamins, minerals and plant substances that help to maintain good health.
Citrus fruits are an excellent source of vitamin C, a nutrient that strengthens the immune system and keeps the skin smooth and elastic.
In fact, just one medium-sized orange contains a day's worth of vitamin C.
Citrus fruits are also high in other vitamins and minerals that the body needs to function properly, including B vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and copper.
These compounds include over 60 different flavonoids, carotenoids, and essential oils, which are responsible for many of the health benefits of citrus fruits.
It contain nutrients that promote heart health
Many compounds in citrus fruits can promote heart health by improving cholesterol levels and lowering blood pressure.
A Japanese study found that people who consumed larger amounts of these fruits were less likely to develop heart disease and stroke. Several compounds in citrus fruits can improve markers of heart health.
Many of the flavonoids found in citrus fruits, including naringin, are powerful antioxidants that benefit the heart in several ways.
Protect your brain
Citrus fruits and juices may help improve brain function and protect the brain from neurodegenerative disorders.
The flavonoids found in citrus fruits can help prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which are caused by the breakdown of cells in the nervous system.
The flavonoids found in citrus fruits have anti-inflammatory properties that are thought to help protect against the chain of events that lead to nervous system deterioration.
Certain types of flavonoids, including hesperidin and apigenin, have been shown to protect brain cells and improve brain function in mice and in test tube studies.
Hope this was helpful. Thank you and please do share these tips with others so they can get to live a healthy lifestyle too.