The Different Types Of Citrus Fruits To Consume For A Healhy Diet

By Author: Joseph Carter
Total Articles: 27
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It has been known for a long time now that citrus foods have many benefits. Generations ago, sailors who were on ships for long-term periods of time and who did not get plenty of these fruits would get scurvy, a disease caused by lack of vitamin C. While most people today are not in danger of getting scurvy and do get enough vitamin C, they still do not typically get enough citrus fruits!

What is unfortunate is that these citrus fruits are easily accessible, healthy, and flavorful. You can ingest an orange for a snack, a half a grapefruit at breakfast, and other citrus fruits throughout the day as well. They can be a great part of any healthy diet.

There are several citrus fruits for you to choose from! Not just oranges and grapefruits but a lot more. Your supermarket probably carries many items such as lemons, tangerines, mandarin oranges, pineapples, and yes, even tomatoes are citrus fruits!

You probably associate citrus fruits with vitamin C but they have many other essential nutrients as well. One is potassium. Lets acknowledge the others.

Vitamin C

Of course just about everyone ...
... thinks of vitamin C when they think of citrus fruits and there's a reason for this - they are typically full of this important nutrient! Many nutritionists study vitamin C and it seems to help fight off colds and other illnesses, can help you to heal faster, and protect the body from what are called free radicals.

Vitamin C should be take everday in your diet as it does keep your skin and gums in good health. Unlike other vitamins, vitamin C is not stored in the body. So that is why is essential for you to obtain a few citrus fruits everyday to sustain that level of vitamin C in your body. This will give you enough for your entire day's needs; a single orange contains some 150% of the day's recommendation of vitamin C!

Fiber

Many don't associate fiber with citrus fruits. Usually people tend to link fiber with whole grains, cereals, and breads. But citrus fruits do provide a good deal of fiber including what is called soluble fiber. Fiber is essential for your digestive system to function, and it is known to reduce you cholesterol.

Folic Acid or Folate

Folic acid which is also called folate is important for pregnant women especially. Any woman that is looking to get pregnant or may get pregnant is encouraged to get enough of this every day. It's important for a woman's body to be ready for pregnancy even before she conceives. Folic acid will help the body from becoming anemic, and it will prevent particular birth defects. A lot if not all the citrus fruits are rich of folic acid!

Potassium

Potassium is also very important for health; it helps to keep your fluid levels balanced in the body and also assists in actually transmitting signals in the nervous system. Bananas and oranges contain a significant amount of potassium. Having an excess amount of caffeine or getting dehydrated can make your body lose potassium, so it is essential that you consume enough potassium every day.

After knowing all this information you should be able to tell why citrus fruits should be a significant part of your diet. If you want to get fit and stay healthy, you'll need citrus fruits in your diet to do just that. It isn't hard at all to add citrus fruits to your diet, because there are plenty of them to choose from!
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