Food
Winter in our latitudes is not only snow and frost, but also the bright skin of oranges and tangerines, which appear in abundance on the shelves at this time of year.
Everyone knows that citrus fruits are "solid vitamins". Let's see what else is the benefit of these fruits.
What is citrus?
Its name citrus fruits received thanks to lemon, which in Latin is called-citrus. It was brought to Europe by the Arabs almost a thousand years ago.
In addition to lemon, there are many other edible citrus fruits – and almost all of them are bred by man from a dozen wild species.
The most popular citrus is orange. Its taste seems basic, but in fact it is a hybrid derived in China in ancient times from Mandarin and pomelo. Now it is grown almost all over the world. During the year, oranges are eaten more than apples all over the world.
Mandarin came to Europe from Southeast Asia and caught on well in the subtropics. If you saw in the sale of a Mandarin with the skin very rich, almost red color is a relative of the tangerine, the tangerine.
Another native of Asia is grapefruit. It is considered a hybrid of some not survived to the present day citrus. In turn, thanks to grapefruit there is a new original fruit-tangelo. It is an easy to clean and sweet and sour mixture of grapefruit and tangerine.
Pomelo is also a subspecies of grapefruit, which has a dense flesh and thick yellow-green skin, from which candied fruits are made and jam is cooked.
Lime got its name only in the XIX century, thanks to the British seafarers who carried on their ships a stock of these small green citrus fruits for the prevention of scurvy. "Limey "in American slang meant"Englishman."
The only citrus with a truly edible peel is kumquat. It is considered a subspecies of orange, although it is the size of a small plum, and tastes like tangerine. Fresh kumquat rarely eat, often used to make jam or candied fruit.
Аascorbic acid
First citrus is really a great source of vitamin C. Moreover, due to its life cycle, almost all citrus fruits appear on the table of the inhabitant of the Northern latitudes in winter. Just at the time when constant access to this vitamin will end with fresh seasonal vegetables – berries and fruits.
A distinctive feature of citrus fruits is the ability to maintain an optimal level of vitamin C until the late European spring due to the dense impervious peel.
There is a myth that the richest in vitamin C is citrus, which is more acid-like, so it makes a large amount of ascorbic acid. In fact, the taste of its content does not depend. So, not sour parsley contains much more vitamin C than any citrus.
And among citrus a leader in content of vitamin C is orange. The average purified fruit weighing about 150 g is more than the daily value of this vitamin. In second place – grapefruit, in the same amount which contains 100 percent of the daily value of vitamin C-70-100 mg.
Other useful substances
In addition to vitamin C, all citrus fruits have folic acid, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous and reproductive systems of the human body.
One orange or half pomelo contains 10-15 percent of the daily dose of this substance, which is also called vitamin B9 – up to 400 mcg. Folic acid also has a beneficial effect on the condition of blood vessels, helping to maintain their elasticity.
In addition, citrus fruits contain bioflavonoids-antioxidants that fight inflammation and aging processes in the body.
A lot of citrus potassium-a mineral substance that helps to reduce blood pressure and protects against hypertension.
And citrus essential oils have a calming effect and help fight excessive appetite.
When not?
Despite the obvious benefits of citrus, make them the only fruit in the diet is not necessary.
They are categorically contraindicated in gastritis with high acidity and gastric ulcer. Because of the rather high sugar content of citrus is not recommended in patients with diabetes. In addition, they are quite strong allergens.
It is necessary to be careful to eat acidic citrus to those who have diseases of the enamel of the teeth. The acid contained in these fruits has a destructive effect on it. Therefore, fresh-squeezed juice from oranges or grapefruit is better to drink through a straw. And be sure to rinse your mouth with clean water after each eaten citrus to remove excess acid.
When, on the contrary, it is possible
But those who follow the figure, citrus will not hurt. Unlike high-calorie dried fruits, grapes and bananas, 100 g of orange less than 50 kcal, and in the same amount of grapefruit – 35 kcal. In addition, citrus fruits are rich in fiber, which helps to maintain a feeling of satiety and serves as a preventive measure to improve bowel function.
In winter, you should eat every day a couple of oranges, one grapefruit or four or five tangerines. But in the summer it is better to eat local vegetables and fruits – at this time of year in citrus nutrients no longer remains.
The main thing about citrus
The most rich in vitamins citrus get on the table of the Russian in late autumn and winter, so they are considered a valuable source of vitamin C and other nutrients.
Citrus fruits are contraindicated in some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, but are perfect for healthy people who are trying to control their weight.