Based on what you read in the media, you might think that eating lots of oranges is the key to losing weight. But, is it really? The truth is that it depends on how many you’re eating and what else you’re doing. To help you figure out how many oranges you need to eat to lose weight, we’ve put together a list of facts about citrus fruits and how they affect your waistline.
Citrus Oranges Are Rich In Vitamin C
As the name implies, citrus fruits are a good source of Vitamin C. A 2015 study from the United Kingdom compared the weight loss effects of Vitamin C in the form of vitamin C squash to those of a placebo. The researchers found that participants who took vitamin C squash lost about more weight than those who took the placebo. Moreover, the participants who took Vitamin C lost about a greater percentage of their total weight. Based on these results, the researchers concluded that consuming citrus fruits might be a good way to shed some pounds.
Even better, vitamin C squash is a natural antioxidant that has been shown to boost the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates. So, if you’re looking for a way to naturally reduce your cholesterol levels, you could try consuming more citrus fruits.
They Have High Nutrient Density
With high nutrient density, we’re talking about the total amount of nutrients per unit of food. When you compare this to other foods, your body needs less of it to get the same amount of nutrition. That’s because citrus fruits have a high nutrient density. A 100 gram serving (about the size of a large orange) contains:
- Vitamin C: 15.6 mg
- Folate: 0.32 mg
- Potassium: 746 mg
- Magnesium: 54.4 mg
- Phosphorus: 547 mg
- Omega-3 fatty acids: 0.68 g
- Total sugars: 12.7 g
- Dietary fiber: 1 g
To put these numbers in perspective, a medium non-sweetened chicken breast contains about 10% of the recommended daily intake of nutrients. Therefore, if you’re looking to fill your belly with this type of food, you’ll need to eat about four times as many oranges as a medium chicken breast to get the same amount of nutrients!
Even more impressive, the nutrient density of citrus fruits is comparable to that of some entire fruits, such as pomegranates and apples. So, if you want to get the most nutrients possible, you might choose to eat the more expensive fruit instead of the cheaper alternative. However, you might not get a good feeling from eating an apple a day. But, if you’re looking for nutrients and don’t mind a bit of a tart flavor, you could try some pomegranates!
Citrus Oranges Are Good For Your Skin
Whether you’re battling acne or you just want to keep your skin looking young and healthy, you can incorporate citrus fruits into your diet to give you glowing skin. A study from the United Kingdom compared the effects of vitamin C to those of a placebo on skin health. The results were quite startling: after just four weeks of taking vitamin C, the researchers observed that the participants’ skin was significantly improved. Moreover, they had more youthful-looking skin than before they started taking the supplements!
Vitamin C is highly beneficial for your skin, and it has an excellent track record of successfully treating and preventing some forms of skin cancer. Even more impressive, vitamin C has been shown to improve skin blood circulation, which helps your body to better eliminate toxins and waste. So, by eating more oranges, you may be helping your body in its mission to maintain a healthy weight and glowingly happy skin!
They Have A High Glycemic Index
If you have a history of diabetes or heart disease in your family, you might be worried about incorporating more citrus fruits into your diet. After all, these are foods that are well-known for causing your blood sugar to spike. But, you need not be! As it turns out, the oranges’ high glycemic index is not as bad as you think it is. Yes, it does mean that they cause your blood sugar to rise quickly after you eat them. But, that’s not always bad. For instance, the fruit’s high glycemic index may actually help your body to better utilize the nutrients it contains.
The glycemic index measures how quickly your blood sugar spikes after you eat a specific food. It is a number between 1 and 100, with higher numbers indicating a greater increase in blood sugar. So, foods with a high glycemic index are typically referred to as “quick-digestible” or “sugar-rich” foods. You would probably know that bananas, tomatoes, and potatoes have high glycemic indexes. In fact, these are the only fruits, vegetables, and grains that have a rating of 100.
But, there are some positive sides to having a high glycemic index. For example, the fruit’s high glycemic index may help your body to better utilize the nutrients it contains. That’s because the carbohydrates in citrus fruits are rapidly broken down into sugar, which allows your body to quickly absorb the nutrients. So, if you have a history of obesity, diabetes, or heart disease in your family, you could try eating more oranges to improve your overall health.
They Have A Low Energy Content
Citrus oranges are fairly low in energy, so you’ll need to eat a lot of them to gain the same amount of energy as you give off. In fact, an average orange has about 7.8kcal/100g. So, if you’re looking to lose weight, you might want to eat fewer oranges and gain a bit more energy from other foods. That said, eating citrus fruits can still be a healthy choice, as long as you account for the fact that they are low on the glycemic index. So, if you have a history of diabetes or heart disease in your family, you could try eating more oranges to improve your overall health.
This article is going to arm you with the knowledge you need to make the right choice for your own health. Hopefully, after reading this you will understand the facts about citrus fruits, how they affect your body, and what you should do to enjoy them in the most wholesome way possible. Make sure to read our other helpful blog posts on the subject too!