4 Legit Reasons Why You Need to Eat Citrus Fruits to Be Healthy

If you aren’t one of those unlucky few suffering from an allergy to citrus, you definitely need to eat these fruits regularly. Every year we see new studies of how much good they can do for your health. The most important benefits of citrus fruits include but aren’t limited to normalizing blood pressure, boosting heart health, fighting kidney stones, and helping you lose weight.

4 Science-Based Benefits of Citrus Fruits

 

1.      Lowering Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a condition affecting over 75 million Americans and is one of the main contributing causes of death. According to a study from ARYA Atherosclerosis, drinking two 500ml servings of ‘citrus sines is juice’ a day can reduce blood pressure.

This beverage is a highly concentrated type of citrus juice that has a higher level of flavonoids. However, considering the results of the study, it’s easy to see that drinking even a regular freshly-squeezed orange juice will have a beneficial effect on your blood pressure.

2.      Controlling Weight

Some compounds extracted from citrus fruits have proven to be effective in both boosting fat burning and controlling metabolism. There are many studies of this subject, such as the one from Advances in Nutrition or research published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition. The mechanism of citrus flavonoids’ action is highly complex and scientists have yet to understand it completely.

However, it’s a fact that they do help with controlling your body mass index. That’s why elements like citrus aurantium are often added to weight loss pills for women and men. Please note that drinking orange juice from the store, which is often loaded with added sugar, doesn’t provide any of the vaulted weight management benefits of citrus fruits.

3.      Boosting Heart Health

Cardiovascular disease still kills more people than cancer and nearly every senior suffers from some form of it. Numerous studies indicate that eating citrus fruits regularly significantly reduces the risk of developing this condition and helps fight it.

The main reasons for this particular benefit are vitamin C and folate, which citrus fruits have in abundance. Vitamin C is an extremely potent antioxidant and it can reduce the levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Folate, on the other hand, lowers the levels of naturally-synthesized homocysteine. Increased levels of this compound increase the risk of heart disease because they contribute to ischemic damage of blood vessels. In addition to this, higher folate plasma levels reduce the risk of neural tube defects in newborns.

4.      Preventing Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are becoming a common issue as salt deposits in the body take on new dangerous forms. These crystal deposits in the kidneys can become life-threatening if one of them blocks the ureter. Even when not as dangerous, kidney stones can cause agonizing pain and contribute to urinary infections.

One of the main benefits of citrus fruits is their ability to prevent the formation of some types of kidney stones. They can even contribute to their dissolution, though this effect is very mild. Note that citrus juices are effective against calcium kidney stones, in particular. This fact is proven by various studies, including a review from the Cochrane Database, a meta-analysis published in the official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association, and a study from the Journal of Urology.

Benefits of Citrus Fruits: Final Thoughts

These are only a few of the many citrus fruits benefits that mainly come from the antioxidant-rich flavonoids contained in this food. The positive effects of oranges, lemons, limes, tangerines, and other citruses on the body are so numerous, you can consider them superfoods. Including them into your diet regularly is a wise idea for everyone, who doesn’t suffer from sensitivity to these products.