Citrus fruits: aromatic fruits that lower blood lipids and improve arteriosclerosis.

Tangerine

Other names: Fuju, Huangju, Miju, Zhuju, Ganzai

Main nutrients: Vitamins A and C, carotenoids, potassium, magnesium, calcium, flavonoids

Therapeutic effects: Protects the cardiovascular system, anti-aging and cancer prevention, promotes metabolism.

Suitable for: People with indigestion and cardiovascular disease. Those to consume with caution: People with colds and coughs, and those with stomach ulcers.

Nutritional pairings and taboos for citrus fruits

Q1. Can eating citrus fruits effectively lower blood lipids?

Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, which can effectively increase the content of good cholesterol, increase the concentration of good cholesterol, promote cholesterol metabolism and inhibit its synthesis, thereby lowering blood lipids.

The dietary fiber in citrus fruits can absorb bile salts in bile, promoting the body's excretion of cholesterol; potassium can regulate heart rate, lower blood pressure, prevent blood vessel damage and hardening, and reduce lipid adhesion; vitamin E can protect the cell membranes in blood vessels from excessive oxidation, prevent blood clotting, promote circulation, and prevent cholesterol and triglycerides from blocking blood vessels.

Q2. Can eating citrus fruits improve arteriosclerosis?

Citrus fruits contain vitamins C and P.

In addition to boosting immunity, vitamin C can also work synergistically with vitamin P to metabolize excess cholesterol in the blood and convert it into bile acids for excretion.

When cholesterol levels in the body decrease, blood vessels remain healthy and blood flow is smooth, which naturally reduces the chance of arteriosclerosis.

Citrus fruits are also rich in magnesium and potassium.

It can help with the absorption of calcium and potassium, maintain smooth heart contraction, and regulate blood pressure.

When the magnesium content in the blood is normal, the chance of developing arteriosclerosis is relatively low. Therefore, citrus fruits can help improve arteriosclerosis.

The fragrant aroma of orange peel mainly comes from hesperidin, also known as "dihydroflavonoid" or "hesperidin," which is found primarily in the peels of citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines, and lemons.

Hesperidin can enhance the toughness of microvascular walls, reduce cholesterol deposited in microvessels, activate blood circulation, and expand cardiovascular function.

When the cardiovascular system contracts normally, blood pressure can naturally be regulated to a normal level, thereby preventing atherosclerosis.

Q3. Should you eat more citrus fruits to improve your appearance and fight aging?

The whole orange has skin-beautifying benefits. Vitamin A protects the body's mucous membranes, maintains skin radiance, and gives you a healthy complexion; Vitamin C promotes collagen synthesis, making your face smooth and delicate, and can also protect against UV damage, inhibit the formation of dark spots after sun exposure, and prevent skin from becoming dull; selenium can prevent skin aging; and pectin can lock in skin moisture, making your skin supple and elastic.

Citrus fruits have excellent beauty and skin-nourishing effects, and are also inexpensive and affordable, making them the best fruit choice for beauty lovers.

Nutritionist's Health Room

Can eating roasted oranges improve your appetite?

① After washing the oranges, roast them over medium heat until the peel turns a slightly charred yellow color. Eat them with the peel after each of your three daily meals. This can not only improve poor appetite, but also promote digestion and prevent constipation.

② When cooking fish, lightly soaking it in orange peel can remove the fishy smell; adding finely shredded orange peel to the pot can enhance the aroma and make the food more appetizing.

③ Dried orange peel is called Chenpi, a traditional Chinese medicine, which also has the effect of stimulating appetite.

X is wrong

Does refrigerating oranges help retain their nutrients?

① Oranges should be stored at room temperature. Once they are put in the refrigerator, their nutrients will be gradually lost.

②Storing oranges in a well-ventilated, cool place will help maintain their freshness.

③ Oranges should be eaten as soon as possible while they are fresh to avoid losing a lot of nutrients.

④ If you buy a whole box of oranges, you should open the box to ventilate and avoid squeezing the oranges together, or take the oranges out of the box to ventilate, which will help preserve them for a longer time.

Does orange peel have high medicinal value?

① The whole orange can be used in medicine, making it a fruit with high medicinal value.

Orange peel can be made into dried tangerine peel, which is a traditional Chinese medicine that moisturizes the lungs, relieves coughs, and strengthens the stomach.

② The orange peel has a fragrant aroma, mainly from the essential oils emitted by the peel.

Citrus essential oils extracted through distillation can help relieve stress and stabilize emotions.

③ The hesperidin in oranges releases a pleasant aroma that can dispel stagnant energy in the body.

Is it true that eating oranges on an empty stomach can upset your stomach?

① Eating one orange after a meal can aid digestion; eating oranges after drinking alcohol can also help relieve hangovers, but oranges should not be eaten before meals or on an empty stomach.

② While eating oranges before meals can improve the absorption rate of vitamin C, those with weak gastrointestinal function may experience a sudden increase in stomach acid if they eat oranges before meals or on an empty stomach. This can have an adverse stimulating effect on the gastric mucosa, increase hunger, and even cause stomach pain. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to one's own condition and choose a suitable way to consume oranges.

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Citrus Beef Shank Salad

Material

20 grams each of cucumber and purple anthracite, 80 grams of mixed beef shank, 2 leaves of lettuce, 1 tangerine and 1 grapefruit

Seasoning

1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon each of salt, white pepper, and sugar.

practice

① Wash the fruits and vegetables; slice the cucumber; remove the pulp from the citrus and grapefruit; peel the lettuce into small pieces; peel and shred the anise, put it in ice water to chill, then drain; slice the beef shank thinly.

② Mix the seasonings into a sauce and then add it to the ingredients.

→ Prevent osteoporosis

Orange-flavored Shrimp Rolls (Serves 2, 283 calories)

Material

30g shrimp, 40g cucumber, 1/2 orange, 2 Vietnamese spring roll wrappers

Seasoning

1 tablespoon of yogurt

practice

① Peel and seed the orange, then slice it into pieces.

② Wash the cucumber and cut it into strips; devein the shrimp, rinse them, blanch them, and drain them.

③ Place the ingredients from steps ① and ②, along with the yogurt, into the spring roll wrapper, wrap it up, and roll it up.