oranges their varieties properties benefits and uses

The orange tree is an evergreen plant which belongs, to the rutaceae (citrus family). Coming from specific eastern regions they have many interesting & beneficial properties, usefull for therapeutic purposes. The tree can reach a height of 12 metres and the fruits picked during the period which goes from November till May. Oranges represent the most widespread citrus fruit throughout the planet & comes in many varieties. The most widespread varieties are: Valencia, Navel, Blood or pigmented. We can distinguish sweet oranges & sour oranges. The firt ones are the most grown & consumed whilst the latter, thanks to its special properties is used to produce essential oils & products used for digestion disorders.

What do oranges contain?

Oranges have many properties & this is thanks to their composition; infact they contain 87.2% water, 7.8% soluble sugar, 1.6% fibre, 0.2% fat, 0.7% protein & 0.3% alkaline ash. Oranges also contain minerals like: iron, sodium, copper, selenium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc & calcium. The famous vitamins found in oranges are vitamin A, vitamin B1, B2, B3. B5, B6, vitamin E and finally vitamin C. They also contain good levels of flavonoids, alpha & beta – carotene, lutein & zeaxanthin, that have a lot of anti-oxidant properties.

Orange benefits

Oranges are reknowned for their high content of Vitamin C. The properties of this vitamin give a lot of benefits to our organism. For example, strengthen our immune system against bacteria & viruses & prevent cardiovascular dieseases. Its thanks to its anti-oxidant properties that it fights against free radical activity. Furthermore vitamin C helps our organism absorp iron better & has also at the same time antianemic properties. It is advisable not to remove the white part found under the orange skin since it is rich in rutin, which helps in the assumption of Vitamin C. Vitamin A instead is very usefull to strengthen our eyesight; Hesperidin, a flavonoid has anallergic & anti-inflammatory properties & help our blood vessel to thicjken reduce the risk of trombosis. Oranges as we said, also have anti-oxidant properties, thanks to anthocyanins, that are the pigments which give them their typical orange colour. Oranges also have anti-tumoral properties, thanks to the activity of the reddish-orange carotenoids called beta-cryptoxanthin. According to a study conducted in 2003, shows that who apparently eats foods containing beta-cryptoxanthin reduces by approximately 27% the risk of developing a tumor in lungs & also in liver. Besides oranges this carotenoid could be found in corn, pumpkin, peaches, red peppers, & papaya. They are also very useful for the heart, because of their potassium content which has very important functions in our cells and body fluids, helping to control heartbeat frequency & blood pressure. Oranges also help to reduce high blood pressure & cholesterol & also help against arthritis & kidney stones. Therefore, a nice freshly squeezed orange juice can be considered of great help for our organism.