CITRUS VIRTUES
The Nutritional Facts
“What are the health benefits of citrus fruits”?
- Low-fat
- High fibre
- Phytonutrient rich
- Immunity boosting
These bright coloured fruits contain so much goodness, they’re naturally packed full of essential nutrients, from the outer skin, through the pith medium to the fleshy, juicy centre
“What are the valuable nutrients in citruses”?
They contain an abundance of health-protective vitamins, minerals, and essential fibre, along with phytochemicals and antioxidants
“How about the powerful effects of protective plant compounds”?
Citrus fruits contain over 60 different types of flavonoids which have antioxidant properties known to increase the body’s natural immunity against both bacteria and viruses.
Flavonoids enhance the effects of vitamin C; they have an anti-inflammatory effect upon the body, protect blood vessels, and strengthen tiny capillaries so that oxygen and essential nutrients can filter to all body cells
Plentiful in the peel are the super-flavonoids which have the most cholesterol-lowering effect of any other citrus flavonoid, and along with the soluble fibre pectin, super-flavonoids help raise healthy HDL cholesterol and lower harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides
They work especially well at lowering the amount of cholesterol secreted from the liver and protect against heart disease by mopping up excesses of harmful chemicals as well as making the blood less likely to clot and lowering blood pressure
“And how beneficial is citrus fibre”?
A high-fibre diet reduces diseases of the digestive tract. This is because undigested fibre travels from the upper digestive tract, downwards, to move food through the intestines eliminating undesirable matter, including carcinogens. It also draws water into the digestive tract and the water and fibre make faecal matter bulkier, so carcinogens are diluted and expelled.
“ Why are those micronutrients so impressive”?
Vital vitamins – A, C, B6, B5, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), folate (B9)
Citrus fruits are rich in folate which is needed by the body to make red and white blood cells in the bone marrow, convert carbohydrates into energy, and produce DNA & RNA. Adequate folate intake is extremely important during periods of rapid growth such as pregnancy, infancy, and adolescence
Rich in Vitamin C – One of nature’s most powerful antioxidants and “Citrus’s claim to fame”. The peel has twice as much vitamin C and three times as much fibre than the fruit itself. It neutralizes cancer-causing chemicals that form in the body by blocking the conversion of nitrates to cancer-causing nitrosamines in the stomach.
Amazing minerals – Calcium, Potassium (Vit-K), Phosphorous, Magnesium and Copper
“What are the health properties of citrus peels”?
Potent peels – the combination of skin (flavedo) and pith (albedo). These important outer layers contain the majority of the food’s nutritional value, more nutritious than the food they protect within. Although super-flavonoids are found in citrus juices, they are much more common in the peels of these fruits, and are thought to be far more powerful than tea and red wine.
Naringin – A super-flavonoid contained in the peel of grapefruits, mandarin, and lemons. A powerful antioxidant that reduces radiation-induced damage to the cells of the body, reversing the DNA damage which causes cancer. The anti-inflammatory effects have some ability to reduce carbohydrate absorption from the intestinal tract, reducing rapid rises in blood sugar after eating, this could have some beneficial effect on weight management and metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors for stroke, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Hesperidin – Another flavonoid found in the white inner pith layer of lemons, limes, grapefruit, and oranges. Hesperidin helps blood vessels function better and may reduce inflammation. Also known to inhibit bone loss.
Fruit with a thick peel, such as a citrus fruit, is called a hesperidium.
Limonene – Citrus skins contain an aromatic compound called limonene, an essential oil that gives the fruit its distinctive smell. This compound has a well-established reputation for chemo-preventive activity against many types of cancer, especially colorectal and breast cancer. Limonene is used in the treatment of indigestion from stomach acid – gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to its ability to neutralize gastric acid. It is also a solvent of cholesterol and can help dissolve gallstones that contain cholesterol.
“Does the chewy pith of citrus fruit taste bitter or not”?
Grapefruit pith is quite bitter, lemon pith tends to be mildly bitter, and orange pith tasteless, not bitter. The bitterness is mainly caused by the accumulation of two different chemical compounds: limonin from the limonoid terpene group, and naringin from the flavonoid phenolic group in the fruit tissues.