Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Health benefits of oranges





An orange packs over 170 different phytonutrients and more than 60 flavonoids, many of which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and blood clot inhibiting properties, as well as strong anti-oxidant effects.
The combination of the high amount of anti-oxidant (vitamin C) and flavonoids in oranges makes it one of the best fruits in helping to promote optimal health.
Arteriosclerosis:  Regularly consuming vitamin C retards the development of hardening of the arteries.
Cancer prevention:  A compound in oranges called liminoid, has been found to help fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon.  The high vitamin C content also acts as a good anti-oxidant that protects cells from damages by free radicals.
Cholesterol:  The alkaloid synephrine found under the orange peel can reduce the liver's production of cholesterol.  Whereas the anti-oxidant fights oxidative stress that is the main culprit in oxidizing the LDLs in our blood.
Constipation:  Even though the orange "tastes acidic", it actually has an alkaline effect in the digestive system and helps stimulate the digestive juices, relieving constipation.
Damaged sperm, repair:  An orange a day is sufficient for a man to keep his sperm healthy.  Vitamin C, an anti-oxidant, protects sperm from genetic damage that may cause a birth defect.
Heart disease:  A high intake of flavonoids and vitamin C has been known to halve the risk of heart diseases.
High blood pressure:   Studies have shown that a flavonoid called hesperidin in oranges can lower high blood pressure.
Immune system:  The strong content of vitamin C stimulates white cells to fight infection, naturally building a good immune system.
Kidney stones, prevent:  Drinking orange juice daily can significantly drop the risk of formation of calcium oxalate stones in the kidney.
Skin:  The anti-oxidant in orange help protect the skin from free radical damage known to cause signs of aging.
Stomach ulcer:  Consuming vitamin C rich foods helps to lower the incidence of peptic ulcers and in turn, reduce the risk of stomach cancer.
Viral infections, protection against:  The abundance of polyphenols have been shown to provide protection against viral infections.

1 comment:

Tina said...

Nice post dear...