Today, we know much more about what gives citrus its superior standing. I would like to highlight some nutrients and phytochemicals that give those fruits their remedy qualities:
Vitamin C
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is one of the most popular vitamins in the world. Citrus fruits are notably rich in vitamin C. This vitamin is needed to form and maintain healthy skin, bones, blood vessels and connective tissues. Vitamin C plays an important role in supporting the immune system and also acts as an antioxidant that might help protect your cells against the effects of free radicals and fight inflammation.
By reducing inflammation, vitamin C may prevent or delay heart disease conditions like arthritis and some types of cancer. Vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron from plant foods (the non-heme iron).
Therefore, eating a citrus fruit alongside plant foods like leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes will help the body better absorb iron. Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C that is essential for building healthy body tissues. But the protective benefits of citrus fruits are not limited to only one nutrient, they expand to numerous nutrients, among them a large plant compound family called the Flavonoids.
Flavonoids
Flavonoids are plant-based nutrients (phytonutrients) responsible for the plant qualities such as its bright color and the familiar aroma. Citrus fruits represent an important source of dietary flavonoids including hesperidin, hesperetin, naringin, naringenin, diosmin, quercetin, rutin, nobiletin, tangeretin and others. Flavonoids also have multiple therapeutic benefits.
Studies indicate that citrus flavonoids protect the cells against the damage of free radicals. Through a direct scavenging of free radicals, citrus flavonoids can reduce inflammation. Consequently, those anti-inflammatory pathways provide therapeutic benefits against cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and against diabetes. For instance, Flavonoids may have preventive action against atherosclerosis and CVD by scavenging free radicals, Flavonoids inhibit low-density lipoprotein – “bad” cholesterol (LDL) oxidation, reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, improve endothelial function and arterial blood pressure.
Dietary Fiber
Dietary Fiber is a type of complex carbohydrate found in plant foods. It is made of many sugar molecules linked together in a way that cannot be entirely digested in the small intestine. Dietary fiber can be divided into two types: soluble and insoluble fiber, and citrus fruits contain some of each kind.
Soluble fiber can help lower LDL cholesterol, consequently reducing cardiovascular disease. This type of fiber can also help improve glucose control by slowing the absorption of sugar resulting in better blood sugar levels. Insoluble fiber can help relieve constipation by helping food move more efficiently through digestive system and increases stool bulk.
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