by Maureen Lauder
I’ve recently discovered the wonders of the citrus peeler, so in honor of my new-found easy access to all kinds of citrus, I’d thought I’d take a few minutes to discuss the marvelous orange!
For years I’ve been clawing the rind off oranges with my fingernails-but no more! With a 99¢ citrus peeler in hand, the rind practically falls away. I’ve even discovered that I can score the rind ahead of time and have easy access to orange-y goodness all day long. A-maz-ing.
And it turns out that that there are plenty of other reasons to love an orange as well. Here are just a few:
- ow that orange is the juice of choice if you’re fighting off a cold. But vitamin C is good for more than just your immune system. As the primary water-soluble antioxidant, vitamin C is vital to cell protection in aqueous areas of the body. Vitamin C prevents free radical damage that can trigger cancer growth and inflammatory conditions like arthritis and asthma.
- Other antioxidant protection. Oranges bring more than vitamin C to the table, though. They also contain a slew of other phytochemicals that prevent free radical damage to the DNA. Studies have shown that consuming fresh orange juice provides substantially more protection than vitamin C alone.
- Liminoids. Citrus fruits, including oranges, contain limonin, a compound that provides protection against mouth, skin, lung, stomach, colon, and breast cancers. Limonin is easily absorbed and remains active in the body for as long as 24 hours after consumption-providing 18 hours more protection than many other phytonutrients.
- Polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs). Poly-what now? PMFs are found in oranges and tangerine peels and have been shown to lower cholesterol as effectively as statin drugs. Juice a whole orange (organic, please) or grate some zest into your salad dressing or smoothie and watch that LDL plummet!
- Digestive health. Oranges are high in fiber, which can help regulate diarrhea or constipation, control blood sugar, and protect the colon against carcinogenic substances. Oranges may also help reduce the risk of kidney stones and stomach ulcers.
So pack a couple oranges for lunch (don’t forget that citrus peeler!) or juice yourself a glass of breakfast orange juice.
If you don’t care to deal with a mechanical juicer (and for a glass of orange juice, why would you?), you can pick up a juice reamer (the kind that fits over a bowl) for pretty cheap. (It’s worth it, though, to spend a couple dollars extra on a sturdy one with a wide base.) It takes only a couple minutes to make yourself a delicious glass of fresh juice-and just think how your healthy body will thank you!