Orange Juice recipes are a great way to provide yourself with a dense amount of the health benefits of orange nutrition. Oranges are a great source of vitamin C and also a good source of folate and potassium. Besides their nutrient content, oranges are also an awesome source of phytochemicals called flavonoids.
Vitamin C Health Benefits of Oranges
Vitamin C is an essential part of the immune system, protecting us from pathogens, bacteria and especially viruses like colds. Vitamin C is also a potent antioxidant that protects our arteries from damage by free radicals, damage which can lead to atherosclerosis. Free radicals are harmful oxygen based molecules that are a natural by-product of internal chemical reactions within the body. They are also found in UV light and pollution.
Flavonoid Health Benefits of Oranges
Oranges contain more than 60 different kinds of flavonoids. These include hesperidin and naringenin which are specific to citrus fruits. Both hesperidin and naringenin are potent antioxidants and share several of the same health benefits. Research shows that they are both helpful for people with diabetes mellitus. When taken with carbohydrate based meals, naringenin and hesperidin both help lower the peak in blood sugar, reducing the chance of hypoglycemic complications.
The orange health benefits of hesperidin and naringenin can also help improve vasolidation (blood flow), which lowers blood pressure and therefore reduces the risk of developing heart disease. Vasolidation is basically how well an artery can expand and contract to pump the blood around the body. Hesperidin and naringenin benefit heart health even further by hindering blood platelet aggregation and therefore helping to keep the blood thin.
Juicing Oranges
Hesperidin and naringenin are found in their greatest concentrations within the peel and also in the “white” parts of the orange. To get these health benefits from oranges, we need put some of the peel and white center of the orange through the juicer along with the flesh. However, juicing the peel will produce a very sour unpleasant juice. To compromise between taste and nutritional value, I scrape off some of the white inside of the peel only. This part of the peel is considerably less sour than the orange colored outer edge of the peel, but still high in hesperidin, naringenin and a multitude of other flavonoids. It is also good to know that even though all oranges are high in hesperidin, sweet oranges and tangelos contain the highest concentrations. For more nutrition information and orange juicer recipes visit juicing benefits
In health
Kevin Edwards