Orange juice and other citrus drinks and citrus fruit are produced and consumed all over the world, and have been one of my favourite drinks since childhood. My mum had the juice of an orange every day of her life. Despite the incorrect mixed messages we get about too much fruit or fruit juice, they are one of the major sources of nutrients for kids and adults alike. They play a big role in keeping us healthy.
Citrus fruits don’t just taste great, they also have abundant nutrients and phytochemicals (plant nutrients), such as folic acid, vitamins A and C, mineral elements, carotenoids, and a large group of nutrients known as polyphenols.
Source of Dietary Antioxidants
They are a good source of dietary antioxidants and their role in the prevention and treatment of various diseases were widely studied. In fact, there are well over 1000 studies on the topic. The major polyphenols found in citrus are flavonoids, which are considered to be one of the most important sources of bioactive compounds and have a huge range of health benefits.
Despite everyone focussing on the vitamin C in citrus products it is the flavonoids that really make the difference. These flavonoids affect the quality of fruits in terms of appearance, taste and nutritional value, not to mention their potent antioxidant, inflammatory, and immune system benefits.
Other bioactive molecules also present in various citrus fruit and juice include anthocyanins, carotenoids and pectins. These have lots of benefits but are in much smaller amounts.
To sum it up citrus fruits and juices are power packed with nutrients and should be encouraged at all times for all people.
Flavonoids
The main flavonoids in citrus are hesperidin, nobiletin, naringin (the bitter taste in grapefruits which is converted to naringenin), and neohesperidin, which appear to synergistically enhance the anti-inflammatory activity. They are much better when they are together and have so many health benefits. Different species of citrus are characterized by different individual flavonoid compounds and also the growing conditions can also have a big impact on the concentrations of these nutrients.
Citrus flavonoids have been used in the treatment of different diseases, including arthritis, diabetes mellitus, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease, as well as liver, kidney and heart diseases.
While the consumption of citrus flavanones has repeatedly been associated with a lower risk of degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers, this potentially protective effect has been related to the various properties of these compounds, which include anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities.
The flavonoids from citrus fruit have been shown to benefit diabetes and related complications, mental illness and brain health, 9 and recent evidence has indicated that citrus flavonoids could modulate the microbiota composition and activity by inhibiting pathogenic (nasty) bacteria and selectively stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria and assisting in gut repair and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
So lots and lots of benefits and no downsides.
Dr Dingle is one of Australia’s leading researchers, educator and communicator. He was an Associate Professor and leading researcher in Health and the Environment and is passionate about common sense and sustainable health approaches. Dingle Wellness
