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Vashi2Panvel.com: Navi Mumbai: November 18: “Orange is a lemon sold for a penny…” goes an old rhyme. Well, oranges may not be sold for a penny these days, but the citrus fruit, the king of winter fruits, is certainly all over the market this season. The fruit is popular not only for its tangy taste that never fails to tickle the taste buds, but also for its nutritional value.


Orange trees are semitropical non-deciduous trees and, like other citrus fruits, they probably originated in Southeast Asia. We take oranges for granted now, but at one time they were expensive and only rarely available in cooler climates.

According to a recent study, if orange is your favourite fruit, it speaks of a person who has enduring patience and willpower. You like to do things slowly; but very thoroughly and are completely undaunted by hard work. You tend to be shy; but are a reliable and trustworthy friend. You have an aesthetic bent of mind. Now how’s that for a character analysis!

Orange has a bitter peel that is highly scented and contains aromatic oils. Inside, the fruit is segmented and encloses a juicy flesh. Despite the name, oranges are not always orange; they can also be tallow or mottled with red. The size can vary too – an orange can be as large as a football or as small as a cherry – and the flavour can range from sweet to intensely sour. Like other citrus peels, orange rind contains essential oils, which are used both in cooking and perfumery. Oranges fall into two distinctive groups. Bitter oranges have to be cooked before they can be eaten. Sweet orange can be eaten raw.

More than any other fruit, the orange is associated with--and valued for- its vitamin C content. But oranges have more to offer nutritionally than just this one nutrient. A small orange contains generous levels of folate (folic acid), potassium, and thiamin, as well as some calcium and magnesium. And compared to other citrus fruits, oranges have a broader range of uses: They can be added to various cooked or cold dishes, eaten as snacks, or squeezed for their delicious juice.

“Eating just one orange will meet your entire day’s requirement for vitamin C, provide three grams of fibre, as well as folate, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Oranges also contain health-promoting flavonoids and terpenes, which may help fight off cancer. You get all of that for around sixty (60) calories!” says Dr Mukta Kute, a practicing dietician.

Oranges contain the maximum amount of vitamin C amongst fruits and vegetables put together. Vitamin C helps prevent scurvy and also aids in the body's overall natural healing process. “Oranges are popularly consumed in the form of juice, which provides 140% of the suggested daily intake of vitamin C. However, if you choose to eat a whole orange instead of drinking a glass of juice, you'll get about the same amount of vitamin C with the added benefit of more than 3 grams of dietary fibre,” says Dr Abhay Khanna, a physician.

One medium orange contains 260 milligrams of potassium. Potassium plays a key role in many important health functions. Plus it provides energy for the body, which is necessary for the body's growth and maintenance. Oranges are a good source of folate too. This nutrient helps to prevent neural tube birth defects, and guards against anaemia. Eating a medium-size orange provides 28 percent of the recommended daily value for dietary fibre. Oranges are an excellent source, providing more fibre than any of the top 20 consumed fruits or vegetables. Clearly important is the role of soluble fibre in maintaining already healthy cholesterol levels and promoting cardiovascular health along with helping the digestive process.

The white skin under the peel contains the Bioflavonoids for which citrus fruits are noted, so eating even this part of the orange is very good for your health.

There are so many wonderful ways to eat oranges. The easiest way is to cut a whole orange into quarters. With loose skin varieties like navels, you also can easily peel off the skin and divide into sections. You can also peel and slice oranges to add to salads. Of course you can also enjoy the sweet refreshing taste of oranges by drinking their juice, but you get less fibre from the juice versus the whole fruit.

“Orange juice is the most nutrient-packed fruit juice - a nutrition powerhouse in a glass! One serving provides 110 calories and contains all the vitamin C you need in a day. It's also a good source of potassium, folate and thiamin. And there's more - vitamin B6, niacin, riboflavin and magnesium. Pure orange juice does not contain fibre and is higher in calories than fresh oranges. Even so it is exceptionally nutritious,” says Dr Kute.

Orange juice has been shown to improve some cardiovascular disease risk factors also.
A recent study has produced promising results for improving HDL-cholesterol (good cholesterol). High blood pressure is often called a "silent killer" because it can develop without any warning signs. A healthy eating plan including potassium-rich foods may help. And oranges are one good source of potassium.

Choose firm oranges that are heavy, as they usually contain more juice. In general, smaller oranges are juicier than larger ones. Colour is not a good indication of quality. Sometimes a greenish orange may actually be sweeter than a fully orange fruit.

So, should you go for the juice or the whole fruit? “The whole fruit has more fibre to fill you up and is chock full of nutrients. Juice is low in fibre, but is high in folate, which may help lower homocysteine levels which helps lower the risk of heart attack. Calcium-fortified orange juice is an excellent source of well-absorbed calcium,” answers Dr Khanna.

How to choose the best oranges? According to Dr Kute, the different varieties of oranges will be at their best during the midpoint of their growing seasons. Choose oranges that are firm, heavy for their size (they will be juiciest), and evenly shaped. The skin should be smooth rather than deeply pitted. Thin-skinned oranges are juicier than thick-skinned varieties, and small- to medium-sized fruits are sweeter than the largest oranges. There is no need to worry about ripeness because oranges are always picked when they are ripe.

Skin colour is not a good guide to quality: Some oranges are artificially coloured with a harmless vegetable dye, while others may show traces of green although they are ripe. Through a natural process called "re-greening," the skins of ripe oranges sometimes revert to green if there are blossoms on the tree at the same time as the fruit. Oranges that have "re-greened" may actually be sweeter because they are extra-ripe.
Superficial brown streaks will not affect the flavour or texture of the fruit, but oranges that have serious bruises or soft spots, or feel spongy, should be avoided.

Oranges can be kept for upto two weeks in the refrigerator. But they are good almost as well at room temperature also, retaining nearly all of their vitamin content even after two weeks. They will also yield more juice at room temperature. Their sturdy peel protects them and they require no further wrapping. In fact, if oranges are placed in unperforated plastic bags the moisture trapped inside may encourage mold growth. If you like to eat oranges chilled, by all means refrigerate them.
Nutritious, delicious and beautiful, oranges are a pleasure of the season. So what are you waiting for? Go paint the town orange!

Orange Juice
2 oranges
2 sprigs mint leaves
salt and sugar to taste.
Extract orange juice, reserving one tbsp. orange segments. Add sugar and salt and stir till dissolved. Add the orange segments. Freeze the juice in an ice tray to obtain small sized balls. Place one mint leaf in each mould before freezing. Serve chilled.

Lakshmi Subramanian