The benefits of oranges

Oranges are loved around the world and are as strongly associated with Californian elegance as they are with bright Mediterranean flavours. Orange juice is one of the United Kingdom’s most beloved drinks, with the British public drinking a whopping 930 million litres every year.¹ The good news is that oranges are about as healthy as they are popular. Oranges are full of vitamin C, which has numerous benefits for skin health and overall health, as it’s a powerful antioxidant.² Here we’ll look at oranges benefits, including how they help enhance skin health. We’ll put the nutritional profile of oranges under the microscope, and discover how orange juice can support you in a healthy diet.

What are the benefits of oranges?

Oranges are an incredibly healthy fruit. The sugar content of oranges is the kind which releases into the blood slowly and keeps you fuller for longer.³

Orange benefits for skin

Oranges have many benefits for skin health and wellness, which can include:

• Anti-ageing properties. Due to the Vitamin C content in oranges, collagen is naturally produced within the body and helps maintain skin elasticity. This is the wrinkle-reducing feature which gives skin a youthful look. Vitamin C – which oranges have loads of – likely enhances collagen production, encouraging youthful skin.⁴
• Defense against UV damage. Oranges are packed full of vitamin C, which encourages antioxidant activity and helps protect the skin against the negative effects of UV rays.⁵
• Increase skin thickness. Oranges contain high quantities of citric acid, which helps to improve skin quality.⁶ These are two qualities which give skin a glowy look.
• Moisture content of the skin. The high potassium content of oranges likely improves skin moisturisation, as scientists consider potassium to be a fundamental Natural Moisturising Factor.^7,8

Nutritional value of oranges

An average, 131g orange contains:⁹

• • 93% of your daily vitamin C, which helps to maintain normal skin, bone, and blood vessels¹⁰
  • 11% of your daily fibre, which encourages digestive health¹¹
  • 10% of your daily folate
  • 9% of your daily vitamin B1¹²

Is orange juice healthy?

Recent years have seen rising concerns from health professionals about the sugar content of fruit juices.¹³ However, many nutrition experts insist 100% pure orange juice provides a source of essential vitamins. Orange juice provides 10% of an adult’s daily Vitamin C intake on average. It is a good source of both folate and potassium.¹⁴ Just be sure to stick to the right portion to avoid consuming too much sugar. Last updated: 2 December 2020 Sources 1 https://www.statista.com/statistics/283970/fruit-juice-consumption-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/ 2 https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods 3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20480025/ 4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579659/ 5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579659/ 6 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1091581814526891 7 http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/Nutrition/PotassiumHandout.pdf 8 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022202X15306928 9 http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=37 10 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-c/ 11 https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/basics/fibre.html 12 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-b/ 13 https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f5001 14 https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/should-i-still-drink-fruit-juice