Health benefits of oranges include aiding digestion, hydration, and disease prevention. Their vitamin C content supports immune health.

1. Help with hydration

One navel orange provides about 4 ounces (a half cup) of water. Generally, women need about 92 ounces (11.5 cups) of fluids daily, while men need about 124 ounces (15.5 cups).

People usually get about 20% of their fluids from food. Water-rich foods like oranges can help you meet your daily requirements and keep you hydrated.

Consuming enough fluids has several benefits, such as:

2. Improve digestion

One medium navel orange offers 2.8 grams (g) of fiber. Fiber has several benefits, like:

Increase your fiber intake slowly. Eating too much fiber too quickly can cause bloating and gas. Increase your water intake when eating more fiber to reduce constipation.

3. May help reduce belly fat

The fiber content of oranges can help reduce belly fat.

Carrying excess belly fat increases inflammation and the risk of Type 2 diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), and some cancers. Oranges are also a source of flavonoids, which can reduce fat mass and disease risk.

4. Support the immune system

One medium navel orange has nearly 100% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C. Vitamin C supports the immune system and helps your body make collagen, another health-promoting nutrient.

Citrus juice can also reduce inflammation, which can help prevent disease.

5. Aid iron absorption

Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron, which helps your body use oxygen better. A lack of iron can cause fatigue. Getting enough is especially important for menstruating people who lose iron through menstrual blood.

Iron is also essential for people who follow a plant-based diet because it’s harder for the body to absorb iron from plant-based foods than from animal sources.

6. Help protect against disease

Oranges pack flavonoids, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties. Antioxidants help protect against cell damage called oxidative stress. This cell damage can lead to inflammation linked to diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

High flavonoid intakes may lower the risk of depression, especially among older adults. Drinking orange juice daily may also help lower cholesterol, which reduces the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

7. May lower cancer risk

Orange peels have some of the highest flavonoids and vitamin C content of any citrus fruit. The flavonoids in citrus peels help prevent cancer from growing and spreading.

Flavonoids help regulate, or program, apoptosis, which is the body’s process of killing off abnormal cells before they multiply and grow out of control.

8. Might improve cognitive function

Orange juice may improve cognitive function in older adults, helping them think more clearly. This may be because drinking moderate quantities of citrus juice enhances blood flow to the brain.

What to know before eating oranges

Oranges are generally healthy and safe to eat. Eating oranges and drinking orange juice can have a few risks, including:

(Health delivers relevant information in clear, jargon-free language that puts health into context in peoples’ lives. Online at www.health.com.)

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