Oranges and Human Health

Health Benefits of Oranges

(Source: http://www.elements4health.com/oranges.html)

Cholesterol Reduction
One of the most important flavonoids in or­anges is hesperidin. Hesperidin and the pectin in oranges have been shown to lower cholesterol. The concentration of hes­peridin is considerably higher in the inner peel and inner white pulp of the orange, rather than in its orange flesh.

Arthritis
In a study at the Arthritis Research Campaign Epidemiology Unit in the United Kingdom, results suggested that a modest increase in beta-cryptoxanthin (antioxidant found in oranges) intake, equivalent to one glass of freshly squeezed orange juice per day, is associated with a reduced risk of developing inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Kidney Stones
In a preliminary study involving nine healthy and four participants with kidney stones, it was suggested that orange juice consumption might be more effective than other citrus juices in the prevention of kidney stones. Further studies are needed to evaluate these results.

Anti Cancer
The flavonoids naringenin and hesperedin exhibit estrogenic, anticarcinogenic and antioxidative properties. Orange juice contains high amounts of these compounds, and research data suggests that these two flavonoids may be able to inhibit the development of cancer.

D-limonene is found in the essential oils of oranges and other citrus fruits, and studies have shown that d-limonene to be effective in the prevention of gastric and liver cancer.

Recent studies indicate that beta-cryptoxanthin may be a promising chemopreventive agent against lung cancer.

Glycemic Index (GI)
In a study to determine the GI of various fruits, it was concluded that oranges have a low GI of 42.

Nutrients
Oranges are an excellent source of flavonoids and vitamin C. They are a very good source of dietary fiber. They are a good source of B vi­tamins (including vitamins Bl, B2, and B6, folic acid, and pan­tothenic acid), carotenes, pectin, potassium, and folic acid.

A comprehensive breakdown of nutrients can be found in our Nutrient Database.


References:
1. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno.
2. Foods to Fight Cancer by Professor Richard Beliveau and Dr Denis Gingras.
3. Benders' Dictionary of Nutrition and Food Technology.
4. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
5. Pattison DJ, Symmons DP, Lunt M, Welch A, Bingham SA, Day NE, Silman AJ. Dietary beta-cryptoxanthin and inflammatory polyarthritis: results from a population-based prospective study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Aug;82(2):451-5. PMID: 16087992.
6. Odvina CV. Comparative value of orange juice versus lemonade in reducing stone-forming risk. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2006 Nov;1(6):1269-74. Epub 2006 Aug 30. PMID: 17699358.
7. Erlund I, Meririnne E, Alfthan G, Aro A. Plasma kinetics and urinary excretion of the flavanones naringenin and hesperetin in humans after ingestion of orange juice and grapefruit juice. J Nutr. 2001 Feb;131(2):235-41. PMID: 11160539.
8. Miller EG, Peacock JJ, Bourland TC, Taylor SE, Wright JM, Patil BS, Miller EG. Inhibition of oral carcinogenesis by citrus flavonoids. Nutr Cancer. 2008 Jan-Feb;60(1):69-74. PMID: 18444138.
9. Guyton KZ, Kensler TW. Prevention of liver cancer. Curr Oncol Rep. 2002 Nov;4(6):464-70. PMID: 12354357.
10. Lu XG, Zhan LB, Feng BA, Qu MY, Yu LH, Xie JH. Inhibition of growth and metastasis of human gastric cancer implanted in nude mice by d-limonene. World J Gastroenterol. 2004 Jul 15;10(14):2140-4. PMID: 15237454.
11. Lian F, Hu KQ, Russell RM, Wang XD. Beta-cryptoxanthin suppresses the growth of immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells and non-small-cell lung cancer cells and up-regulates retinoic acid receptor beta expression. Int J Cancer. 2006 Nov 1;119(9):2084-9. PMID: 16841329.