13 Health Benefits of Tangerine Fruit

Tangerines are a specific variant of Mandarin oranges (Citrus Reticulate), which are reddish-orange in color. They belong to the family of Rutaceae and are cultivated mainly in the tropical forests of Southeast Asian provinces.

Tangerine fruit trees are smaller in size as compared to orange trees, and the fruit has a deep orange color with a flat shape. It can be peeled easily and is a fibrous fruit nutrient-wise.

 
Tangerine health benefits includes reducing inflammation, reducing cancer risk, supporting the immune system, protects the heart, helps regulate blood pressure, support eye health, assist in diabetes prevention, promotes wound healing, improves digestion, helps reduce osteoporosis risk, delays skin aging, promotes healthy DNA synthesis and promotes quality hair growth.

What is Tangerine?

The Tangerine is a Citrus fruit and is regarded as one of the varieties of orange (Mandarin Oranges). This tasty and refreshing fruit is packed with nutritious health promoting compounds that contribute to the health of an individual. The Citrus tangerine originated from China, but is presently grown in many other parts of the world, thanks to its pleasant taste and for its numerous health benefits.

Nutritional Info of Tangerine (per 100g size)

Calories – 53
Total Fat – 0.3g
Total Carbohydrate – 13g
Protein – 0.8g
Potassium – 166mg 4%RDI
Vitamin A – 13%RDI
Vitamin C – 44%RDI
Vitamin B6 – 5%RDI
Iron – 1% RDI
Calcium – 3% RDI
Magnesium – 3% RDI

Health Benefits of Tangerine

1. Reduces Inflammation

Tangerine help the body in reducing excessive inflammatory processes thanks to its high concentration of vitamin A. They also contain a good amount of vitamin C and the effect of Vitamin C in the body is the provision of an adequate level of antioxidants. These antioxidants are crucial in assisting the body in the fight against both inflammatory and acute illness, as its anti-oxidant capacity can suppress the long term impact these processes can have on the body.

2. Reduces Cancer Risk

Tangerine have proven to be very effective in preventing various types of cancers in the body, reducing cellular damage that can be caused. The tangerine fruit contains high quantities of Phyto-compounds that are known to possess anticancer properties, as well as its well-known anti-oxidant vitamins. They act specifically by preventing the mutation of normal cells, along with subsequent replication of cancer-causing cells. The end result is enhanced inhibition of the proliferation of tumors.

3. Supports The Immune System

The immune system is responsible for several important functions that help maintain our health, though most people know it as the system that prevents illness. The immune system is, however, not immune from harm itself, and needs to be supported by consumption of foods that enhance its defensive functions. Tangerines help to improve the ability of the immune system to detect and subsequently destroy harmful pathogens, helping keep you safe come flu season. This is likely due to the bioflavonoids found commonly in citrus fruits.

4. Protects The Heart

The heart is responsible for pumping blood around the body, making it necessary that it must be kept healthy at all times to prevent disruption to its essential functions.  The Tangerine fruit can help protect the heart from the harmful effects of free radical damage and inflammation, which trigger and accelerate the cascade of atherosclerotic plaque deposit and blood vessel blockage.

Free radicals are formed in the body under normal conditions, but can cause damage to the body when they are in excess. The Vitamin C present in the Tangerine may serve as a ready means of antioxidant supply that can help in removing these free radicals in the blood and in improving blood circulation to and from the heart. The high anti-oxidant content of tangerines also help prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol, reducing cardiac risk significantly.

5. Helps Regulate Blood Pressure

Tangerine, in addition to being good for the heart, can also help in the maintenance of blood pressure thanks to the presence of ample potassium. Potassium, a key electrolyte in like manner to sodium, exerts a strongly balancing effect on blood volume, helping ensure that excess water is not retained by the body. Plus, potassium has a vasodilatory action on blood vessels, allowing a greater diameter and the ability of blood to flow. Just don’t go overboard and consume tons of potassium; but if you eat a tangerine or two per day you will be just fine.

6. Good for the Eyes

Good eye health requires the consumption of foods that contain carotenoids, as well as other anti-oxidant compounds. Tangerines contain both Vitamin C, and the Carotenoid Vitamin A. vitamin A is important in helping prevent macular degeneration, as well as assisting with drainage of the vitreous humor of the eye, where a buildup of pressure can cause glaucoma.

7. May Assist In Diabetes Prevention

Tangerine doesn’t help with diabetes prevention the way most other fruits do, but rather by its indirect action on increasing fat oxidation. Diabetes falls in a group of disorders that are referred to as metabolic diseases, many of which share a high correlation with obesity. Thus, by helping to reduce the fat stores in the first place, it is believed that insulin dysfunction is less likely to happen, and decreases the risk of diabetes developing.

8. Promotes Wound Healing

Tangerine are another wonderful example of a fruit that promotes and boosts wound healing due to the presence of adequate amounts of vitamin C. This Vitamin is important in synthesizing collagen in the body; collagen being a key structural component of joint and many other tissues, including the skin. This elevated collagen synthesis results in accelerated healing, minimal scarring and even recovery following injury.

9. Improves Digestion

Tangerine contains a high amount of dietary fiber which is helpful in improving bowel movements. This in itself is excellent for preventing constipation, though tangerines are believed to help digestive enzyme production as well. If you’ve ever smelt tangerines and started salivating, you can understand the impact it has on improving digestion.

10. Helps Reduce Osteoporosis Risk

Tangerine can also help prevent the bones from becoming weak and fracturing easily. Osteoporosis, which is characterized by a generalized progressive reduction in bone tissue mass per volume, typically results in structural weakening.

As a result, Fractures of various bones occur very easily especially in older persons, and represent a huge burden to the affected person in terms of mobility. The Tangerine fruit contains a decent amount of potassium, calcium and magnesium, all of which play important roles in maintenance of bone heath and subsequently, in prevention of fractures and structural weakness. Good bone health is one of the key components to remaining mobile well into your senior years.

11. Delays Skin Aging

Tangerine are highly effective natural remedies in combating premature aging and skin deterioration, thanks in large part to its Vitamin C content. As previously mentioned, Vitamin C is essential for optimal collagen synthesis, which in turns results in health of joints and skin, among many other tissues. regular consumption of the Tangerine can help in removing wrinkles and fine lines, as well as improving the appearance of dull, listless skin which is a trademark of poor skin health.

12. Promotes Healthy DNA Synthesis

DNA can be considered what makes us who we are, being wound into helix structures and found inside our chromosomes. The function of DNA is ideally to serve as a “blueprint” for the cells in our body, so that when replication is complete, a, identical copy of the original cell is found. But defects in this copy process occur, and mutations may ensue. Tangerines with their high anti-oxidant potential can help reduce the frequency of these errors, minimizing the risk of more serious complications, such as cancer, because of a mutation being produced.

13. Promotes Quality Hair Growth

Tangerine is highly effective in promoting quality hair growth. Its Vitamin A content helps in moisturizing the scalp as well as in improving the condition of the hair. More so, the Vitamin C in tangerine fruit may be very helpful in facilitating the absorption of iron from the food we eat. The Iron obtained is essential in promoting quality hair. Tangerine also contains Vitamin B12 which helps in promoting hair health as well as in slowing down hair graying, and is believed to help keep follicles in the growth phase.

• Naturalfoodseries