An Orange a Day: The Benefits
By Sara Butler
There’s nothing quite as refreshing as a fresh orange. It’s a healthy snack that is packed with all kinds of things that are good for you. If you need an excuse to add more oranges to your day, then here are a few of the benefits of oranges that you need to know about!
The Good Carbs
Contrary to popular belief, your body needs carbohydrates in order to stay healthy. The type of carbohydrate makes a big difference, though. Oranges offer healthy carbohydrates, offering you about 21 grams of carbohydrates per cup. About 17 grams of natural sugar are also given to you per cup.
So why do you need these carbs? They provide the necessary fuel for your muscles in order to support a healthy metabolism and help to control your core body temperature. They also fuel your brain – which makes them very important.
Fiber is also a very important carbohydrate, but it’s not converted by your body into energy. Each cup of oranges has almost 5 grams of fiber, which helps to prevent coronary artery disease and keeps your intestines functioning well. Eating a serving of oranges provides 18 percent of your recommended daily fiber intake for women and 12 percent for men.
The Big B!
Vitamin B1 is essential to a healthy body. It helps support a healthy metabolism and helps you to convert energy from carbohydrates and fats. If you don’t get enough Vitamin B1, then it can have a negative impact on your skin, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. Oranges just so happen to contain quite a bit of Vitamin B1, about 17 percent of your recommended daily intake for women and about 15 percent for men.
More Essential Vitamins
If you need a boost of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, then oranges are your fruit. Every cup of orange slices provides 18 percent of daily recommended intake of Vitamin A for women and 14 percent for men. It also provides 75 to 90 percent of the Vitamin C needed by everyone daily.
Vitamin A and Vitamin C support healthy skin and activate enzymes your body needs to produce collagen. So if you’re looking for a youthful glow, you may need to have an orange!
A Word of Warning
One of the only drawbacks to oranges is the acid contained within them as a citrus fruit. This can be bad for your teeth and puts you at risk for decay. So make sure as you’re caring for the rest of your body with oranges that you take extra care of your teeth too!