In the past 24 hours I have consumed six oranges. It wasn’t part of any sort of contest – I just really like oranges. In addition to the great taste, I really feel a sense of accomplishment after I’ve peeled an orange. Maybe the extra effort oranges take to eat as compared to most fruits make them taste better!
In addition to being delicious, oranges are super healthy. Here are some of the health benefits:
- Typically having 45 – 70 calories per orange, they are a low-calorie snack. They are mostly water.
- They are high in fiber, which has multiple benefits, including satiation, microbiome health and
lower cholesterol. One decent sized orange has nearly 20% of the recommended daily allowance of fiber. - Even though they are high in naturally occurring sugars, they have a low glycemic index and the American Diabetes Association lists them as a “Diabetes Superfood.”
- Oranges are packed with vitamins and minerals, especially, Vitamin C, Folate, Potassium
and Thiamine. - Oranges have high amounts of Flavonoids which are associated with improved heart health.
But, isn’t eating fruit bad because it is high in sugar and carbs? NO. Here’s an IFOD on that point: Is It Possible to Eat Too Much Fruit?
Other Fun Facts about Oranges.
From Livescience:
- Oranges originated around 4000 B.C. in Southeast Asia and then spread to India.
- The orange tree is
a small tropical tosemitropical , evergreen, flowering plant. It grows up to 16 to 26 feet (5 to 8 meters). - Oranges are classified into two general categories: sweet and bitter. The sweet varieties are the most commonly consumed.
- Renaissance paintings that display oranges on the table during “The Last Supper” are wrong. Oranges were not cultivated in the Middle
East until sometime around the ninth century. - Commercial oranges are often bright orange because an artificial dye, Citrus Red Number 2, is injected into their skins at a concentration of 2 parts per million.
- In 2017, the top five orange-producing countries, by millions of
tons produced , were Brazil (35.6), the United States (15.7), China (14.4), India (10.8) and Mexico (8.1). - About 85 percent of all oranges produced are used for juice.
- There are over 600 varieties of oranges worldwide.
Other fruit related IFODs:
When Avocados Attack!
Can you eat too many oranges? Yes. According to Livescience: “Eating too many oranges has some uncomfortable side effects, when oranges are eaten in excess, the greater fiber content can affect digestion, causing abdominal cramps, and could also lead to diarrhea.” Also, given the acidity of oranges, eating too many can lead to heartburn or exacerbate acid reflux.
So my question is, is drinking orange juice just as healthy as eating an orange? Because I’ve heard that there are lots of sugars that process rapidly when you drink it and it’s not as healthy.