Gaypak: Citrus and Your Health

Gaypak

Australia's largest mandarin growers

Citrus and Your Health

All citrus fruits and juices are full of vitamins and minerals essential to maintaining a healthy diet.

Both the National Heart Foundation of Australia and the Cancer Council of Australia have recognized the important role that a healthy, balanced diet including citrus fruits and juices may play in helping reduce the risk of certain types of heart disease and cancers.

Here are two quick summaries of all the good things you can find in citrus:

Citrus Health Pointers

Nutrient Nutrient Action Citrus Sources % RDA

Vitamin C
RDA:
60mg

Helps the body in the healing process
Aids in iron absorption
Helps strengthens body tissues, bones and blood vessels.
Diets low in fat and rich in fruits and vegetables containing vitamins A and C may reduce the risk of some types of cancer. Citrus and citrus juices are excellent sources of Vitamin C.
250ml of orange,
grapefruit or mandarin juice
1 medium
orange or
mandarin
1/2 medium grapefruit
100%
to
120%

Folic Acid
RDA:
400mcg

Helps in the production of mature red-blood cells.
May reduces the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine.
250ml of orange,
grapefruit or mandarin juice 15%

Potassium
RDA:
3,500mg

Potassium is an essential mineral and works to maintain fluid balance in the body; cell strength and structure; and assist nerve transmission.
250ml of orange,
grapefruit or mandarin juice 12%

Dietary
Fibre
RDA:
25gm

When part of a low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables, fibre has been found to reduce the risk of some forms of cancer and soluble fibre has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Fibre also aids in digestion and elimination.
1/2 medium grapefruit
1 medium
orange or
mandarin
24%

28%

NB: RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance

Citrus Nutrient Analysis

Serving Size Oranges Grapefruit Mandarins

1 medium fruit
(154gms) 1/2 medium fruit
(154gms) 1 medium fruit
(109gms)

Calories 80 70 80

Calories from fat 0 0 10

Total fat (gms) 0 0.5 1.0

% RDA 0 1 2

Saturated fat 0 0 0

Cholesterol (mg) 0 0 0

Sodium (mg) 0 0 0

Potassium (mg) 250 210 120

% RDA 7 6 3

Total Carbohydrates (gm) 21 18 20

% RDA 7 6 7

Dietary Fibre 5 5 3

% RDA 20 20 12

Sugars (gm) 14 10 12

Protein 0 0 0

Vitamin A (% RDA) 0 10 0

Vitamin C (% RDA) 120 80 35

Calcium (% RDA) 4 4 2

Iron (% RDA) 0 0 0

Source: US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

A Well-Balanced Diet

Citrus is an essential part of a healthy, well-balanced diet.

All citrus fruits are naturally high
in Vitamin C - one of the most generally useful vitamins for all-round health.

They also contain potassium, calcium, folate, thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium and copper and useful quantities of dietary fibre too!

These days, most nutritionists recommend that you should try to eat between 3 and 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

Meeting your daily fruit quota could be as simple as having a glass of fresh orange juice with breakfast, snacking on a mandarin during your lunch break or enjoying a fresh fruit salad for dessert after dinner.

A Dieter's Friend!

One of the other nice qualities of citrus - apart from its valuable payload of vitamins and minerals - is that most citrus fruits have few calories and almost no fat.

So if you're trying to lose weight, snacking on citrus will not only help ease the hunger pangs - it will also make it easier to stick to your diet too.

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