Citrus may remind you of warm sunshine, but it’s actually hitting it’s peak season right now.
Oranges — a winter fruit in many parts of the U.S. — are known for their high vitamin content, but they are also bursting with other nutrients like potassium, magnesium and various antioxidants. And since oranges are made up of mostly water, they’re a hydrating snack to have on hand before or after a workout.
Oranges are most well-known for their immune-boosting properties, but they combat inflammation and play a role in eye and heart health, too. Learn the nutrition facts and benefits of oranges and some surprising recipes to include them in your daily diet.
Oranges nutrition
One orange has:
- 73 calories
- 1 gram protein
- 17 grams carbohydrates
- 3 grams fiber (12% daily value (DV))
- 232 milligrams potassium (9% DV)
- 83 milligrams vitamin C (110% DV)
Orange benefits
Let’s start with a well-known fact: Eating an orange provides you with a heaping dose of vitamin C, a nutrient that is most recognized for its role in immune health. Vitamin C protects the body against foreign invaders, and research suggests that having enough vitamin C in the diet may prevent and treat infections. Insufficient amounts of vitamin C in the diet can cause scurvy — a condition that is rare in modern times, but is accompanied by weakness, fatigue, anemia and frequent infections.
Oranges are also a good source of potassium, a mineral that works to regulate blood pressure and fluid balance within the body. Because most Americans don’t meet their daily potassium needs (3400 milligrams for males and 2600 milligrams for females), the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans lists potassium as a nutrient of concern. Research shows that having adequate potassium in the diet is associated with lower blood pressure levels, reduced cardiovascular disease risk and decreased chance of having a stroke.
Oranges also contain an antioxidant called hesperidin, which suppresses inflammation and has been linked to…
Read the full article here
