The orange It is a seasonal fruit, within the autumn and winter months, and has very good contributions in what is fiber, vitamin C and carbohydrates. What is recommended for specialists is to incorporate it into breakfast and snacks, to add it to some infusion with toast. This is how a seasonal food is added, providing calories and minerals, to everyday meals.
“We can affirm that incorporating fiber gives us satiety and helps us lose weight. If we review the research in this regard, perhaps this statement cannot be made so linear. But in daily practice, if we can affirm that incorporating a fruit at breakfast or snack (the suggested portion is three fruits a day, varying it) it is highly recommended to maintain a healthy weight or to lower it,” he points out. candela leperaspecialized nutritionist.
The orange has contributions of carbohydrates, fibers, minerals and, mainly, it is associated with the contribution of vitamin C. “In the popular press it is that vitamin C can cure a common cold. However, research on this claim is controversial. There are people that these doses of vitamin C help them prevent colds and there are people that don’t”, clarifies the nutritionist and adds: “What we are looking for is to cover the daily dose of vitamin C. That can be topped with two large oranges, two kiwis, or a cup of strawberries.”
According to the specialist, smokers should increase the daily dose. For them, approximately, it is proposed to add one more half. On the other hand, Lepera explains: “There are studies that establish improvements in cholesterol values, but the results of these investigations are not conclusive. The orange has a good contribution of fiber and we can associate this benefit to health, from one side of the intestine and to the intestinal microbe”.
The orange should be eaten for breakfast, snack or dessert. It can even be incorporated into salads during the meals of the day. What is recommended is to peel the orange and eat it immediately. It is not recommended to squeeze it and leave it in the fridge, because vitamin C is a component that oxidizes and, as time goes by, peeled or squeezed, the nutrients are lost.
On the question of whether the nutrient values that a purchased orange juice offers the same properties as a freshly squeezed orange, the nutritionist is conclusive: “Oranges should be consumed raw because in this way we consume all the nutrients, such as fiber, which is very important. When it is squeezed, part of the fiber is lost. It is relevant that for people with diabetes or seeking weight loss to eat the whole orange. Squeezing it makes the sugar in the oranges very available and does not help with diabetes management or weight loss.”
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