Orange juice/Oranges
Quit bottled juice and squeeze one fresh orange juice glass which is most refreshing,tasty and healthy.
Sweet varieties suitable for juices are Valencia, navel, Jaffa
and blood orange (hybrid species, more aromatic in flavor), clementine (loos
skin and seedless).Choose loose skin varieties and extract juice when at room
temperature, roll them first on a flat surface under the palm to get maximum
juice.
Orange juice squeezed fresh in small amount and served in glass is safer
than squeezed in large quantity and stored in stainless steel jugs when heated
up cause’s bacteria to grow. Orange juice can be stored up to 2 weeks at room
temperature. Do not store wrapped to prevent moisture and mold. Orange juice
should be consumed in small amount (high consumption can leach calcium from
body and causes decay of bones and teeth) as it has high calorie content and
can cause to gain additional weight. One
orange (131gms) contains nutrient % daily value, Vitamin C 116%, fiber 12.5%,
folate 9.8% and considerable amount of
vitamin A, B, K and calcium.
Orange juice prevents
inflammatory ailments such as atherosclerosis and insulin resistance and enhances
body’s essential vitamin C content up to 60% which retards hardening of arteries,
stimulates white cells to fight infections and builds immune system and prevents
early ageing signs of skin and tissue damage.it lowers chances of cold, flu and
recurrent ear infections. Orange juice contains hesperidin which has strong anti-inflammatory
effects and improves the function of blood vessels and lowers high blood
pressure and cholesterol level. After being oxidized cholesterol sticks to the
artery walls, builds plaque and blocks blood flow to cause heart attack. Vitamin
C neutralizes free radicals and prevents oxidation of cholesterol.
Vitamin C in oranges is primarily water soluble antioxidant
and prevents damage in aqueous environment both inside and outside cells.
Inside cells a potential result of free radical damage to DNA is cancer. In areas of high cellular turnover like
digestive system, vitamin C prevents DNA mutations and is associated with
reduced risk of colon cancer .vitamin C provides protection from asthma, osteo
arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Oranges contain
limonoids which help to fight cancers of mouth, skin, lungs, breast,
stomach and colon. Long acting limonin is attached to glucose which is digested
and utilized releasing limonin which is absorbed in amount as of vitamin C. Human
liver cells produce less apo B structural protein which is necessary for LDL
production when exposed to limonin.3% mixture of hesperidin and naringin which
are polymethoxylated phenols from citrus fruits, work like statin drugs and
inhibits the synthesis of cholesterol and triglycerides inside the liver.
Fiber from oranges keeps blood sugar levels under control
and good for diabetics, also grabs cancer causing chemicals and keep them away
from cells of the colon, reduces
constipation(because of alkaline effects of oranges) or diarrhea in those
who have irritable bowel syndrome.
Women’s who
drank ½ to 1 liter orange juice daily, their urinary pH value
and citric acid excretion increases and significantly drops the risk of calcium
oxalate stone formation. People who have highest level of vitamin C or take one
orange/glass of orange juice have 25% less chances of peptic ulcer caused by
Helicobacter pylori bacterium.
