Natural
Weight-Loss Foods: Oranges
and Tangerines
When you want to lose
weight, a crucial strategy is to avoid sugar at all costs. So what better way
to appease that sweet tooth than a naturally sweet substitute?
Oranges and
tangerines are staples of American diets, and fortunately, they fit nicely into
a fat-fighting diet; they are sweet enough to satisfy as snacks and desserts,
making them wonderful substitutes for high-calorie sweets.
Health Benefits
Oranges are
most famous, of course, for their vitamin C. One orange provides 134 percent of
the RDA. That's particularly important for smokers, who may require twice as
much
vitamin C as nonsmokers to help ward off the development of lung cancer. For
women in their childbearing years, oranges are a great source of folic acid,
known to help prevent neural-tube
birth defects.
Nutritional Values
Navel Orange, Fresh Serving
Size: 1 medium (2-7/8")
Calories: 65
Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 18 g
Protein: 1 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 1 mg
Vitamin C: 83 mg
Folic Acid: 43 mcg
Calcium: 60 mg
Potassium: 232 mg
Tangerine, Fresh Serving Size: 1 medium (2-3/8")
Calories: 45
Fat 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrate: 11 g
Protein: 1 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Sodium: 2 mg
Vitamin A: 572 IU
Vitamin C: 22 mg
The humble orange
contains more than 150 different phytochemicals, and more than 60 of them are
flavonoids. Flavonoids protect blood vessels, decrease inflammation, and are
strong antioxidants. The polyphenol phytochemicals
are antioxidants, and they help prevent cancer and heart disease.
Currently, polyphenols
are being examined for their role in memory and other brain functions. Another
group of
phytochemicals, flavanones, especially one called herperidin, may decrease
inflammation, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol levels. Herperidin is found
in the inner white pulp of the orange, so eat as much of the white membrane as
your taste buds will tolerate.
Tangerines only have a
third as much vitamin C and folic acid as oranges, but they provide three times
as much cancer-fighting vitamin A.
Selection and Storage
Oranges are one
of the few fruits abundant in winter. There are more than 100 varieties in all,
but your supermarket probably carries only a few. The California navels, with
their telltale
"belly-buttons," easy-to-peel thick skins, and easy-to-segment flesh
with no annoying seeds, are the favorite eating oranges. The Valencias , pride
of Florida , are the premier juice oranges.
Mandarin oranges are small and sweet with thin skins and easily sectioned
segments. Tangerines are a popular type of mandarin. For all varieties, select
firm fruit heavy for its size, indicating juiciness. Green color and blemishes
are fine. Refrigerated, most varieties, except mandarins, will keep for two
weeks
