Citrus fruits, such as orange or pineapple, promote benefits, mainly for the formation and maintenance of the health of cells throughout the body, this is because citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, which is an essential component in the formation of collagen, for example. example, a protein that gives skin elasticity and firmness.
In addition, citrus fruits also strengthen the immune system, are important to prevent diseases, such as scurvy, and to increase iron absorption, thus helping to fight anemia.
Thus, the main health benefits of citrus fruits are:
- They improve the functioning of the immune system, since vitamin C favors the activity of cells responsible for the immune response;
- They fight anemia, because it favors the absorption of iron in the intestine;
- Maintains a beautiful and healthy skin, since they are rich in antioxidants, preventing damage caused by free radicals to cells;
- They help you lose weight, because they have few calories;
- They decrease constipation, as they are rich in fibers;
- They improve the hydration of the organism, as they are rich in water.
Despite all the benefits of citrus fruits, those who have inflammation of the esophagus should avoid these fruits, as they can aggravate the pain. In such cases, it is recommended to consume foods with less vitamin C, such as avocado, apricot, pumpkin or zucchini, for example, in order to obtain the necessary amount of vitamin C in the body, without damaging the inflammation of the esophagus.
List of citrus fruits
Citrus fruits are all those that have a high amount of ascorbic acid, which is vitamin C and which is responsible for the acidic taste of these fruits. Some examples of citrus fruits are:
- Orange,
- Tangerine,
- Lemon,
- Lime,
- Strawberry,
- Kiwi.
A 100 g serving of strawberries or 1 glass of natural orange juice per day, for example, is sufficient to reach the body's daily requirement of vitamin C, which for a healthy adult is 60 mg.
The best way to eat citrus fruits is natural, without any processing, because vitamin C is spoiled by light, air and heat. Citrus fruit juices should be placed in the refrigerator in a dark, covered jar, for example, to prevent vitamin C from being spoiled. Cakes with citrus fruits, like orange cake, no longer have vitamin C because when it goes into the oven, the heat destroys the vitamin. Discover other foods rich in vitamin C.
Citrus fruits in pregnancy and breastfeeding
Citrus fruits in pregnancy and breastfeeding help women to ingest the necessary amount of vitamin C for the body, which is higher during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The pregnant woman needs 85 mg of vitamin C per day and the lactating woman 120 mg daily, which are quantities easily achieved with 2 servings of 100 g citrus fruits, such as orange and kiwi, for example.
As citrus fruits have fibers, they can cause abdominal discomfort in the baby. If the mother sees changes in the baby when she eats citrus fruits, she can opt for other foods that are sources of vitamin C, such as bananas and carrots, for example.
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