Fruits, which are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, are high in fiber. Fruits also provide a wide range of health-boosting antioxidants, including flavonoids. Especially, Citrus fruits are an excellent source of vitamin C, a nutrient that strengthens the immune system and keeps your skin smooth and elastic.
Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables can reduce a person’s risk of developing heart disease, cancer, inflammation, and diabetes. Citrus fruits and berries may be especially powerful for preventing disease.
In this article, we look at the many and varied health benefits of the fruits you can find in the supermarket.
LEMONS
Lemons are a citrus fruit that people often use in traditional remedies because of their health benefits. Like other citrus fruits, they contain vitamin C and other antioxidants.
Antioxidants are essential for human health. These compounds mop up free radicals in the body that can damage the body’s cells and lead to diseases, such as cancers.
Citrus fruits, including lemons, contain active components called phytochemicals that benefit health. These include:
- vitamin C
- folic acid
- potassium
- pectin
Use the juice of a lemon to flavor drinking water or squeeze over a salad or fish. Try adding lemon juice to boiling water with a teaspoon of honey to help soothe a sore throat. It is also possible to eat the rind of organic lemons.
ORANGES
Oranges are a sweet, round citrus fruit packed with vitamins and minerals.
Oranges are among the richest sources of vitamin C, with one medium fruit providing 117% of a person’s daily value of vitamin C.
Oranges also provide the following healthful vitamins:
- vitamin A, a compound that is important for healthy skin and eyesight
- B-vitamins, including thiamin and folate, which help keep the nervous and reproductive systems healthy and help create red blood cells.
People can eat oranges on their own as a refreshing snack or by drinking a glass of pure orange juice. Juice oranges at home or choose a brand of fresh juice whose label states it is not from concentrate.
LIMES
Limes are a sour citrus fruit that provides a range of health benefits.
Like other citrus fruits, limes provide a healthful dose of vitamin C. They also have similar health benefits, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties.
Limes work well in savory foods. Try adding the juice or grated peel of lime to flavor salad dressings or rice dishes. Otherwise, juice the lime and add to hot or cold water for a refreshing drink.
GRAPEFRUITS
Grapefruits are sour fruits full of health-inducing vitamins and minerals. Grapefruits can be pink, red, or white.
The flavonoids in grapefruits can help protect against some cancers, inflammation, and obesity.
grapefruit furanocoumarins may have anti-cancer properties, which may be especially effective against breast cancer, skin cancer, and leukemia. Researchers still need to carry out more studies on animals and humans to confirm these properties.
Try adding grapefruit slices to a fruit salad, or squeeze the juice into water to make a drink. Otherwise, people can buy pure grapefruit juice from the supermarket.