Everyone loves an orange, the smell, the taste. They are easily transportable as a healthy mid morning snack. Cheap, cheerful, colourful and yummy. Need more reasons to chow down on this amazing little fruit? Read on!

Top reasons to get your orange on.

Good source of Vitamin C

Oranges are full of vitamin C, you can get a staggering 93% of your daily allowance from a medium size orange. It’s a myth that this can cure a cold but it is suggested that regular consumption of vitamin C can reduce the duration of your cold. Even if it can’t cure the cold, this little vitamin does help improve our brain health. Vitamin C is essential in the production of Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate our mood, appetite, sleep and memory.

It’s also essential in the production of Collagen, as we know from all the face cream adverts collagen is responsible for giving skin it’s strength and elasticity, it also replaces dead skin cells. As collagen production reduces as we age, it’s important to have a healthy diet to aid in production.

Good source of Folate

Folate is a B vitamin that is essential for many aspects of our health. Including cardiovascular support and protection. It has been found that regular consumption of citrus fruits reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in both men and women

Good source of Thiamin

Thiamin is also a B vitamin, this little one is responsible for energy levels, turning fats and carbohydrates into useable energy to keep us going throughout the day.

Oranges can help to lower blood pressure

Oranges contain a molecule known as herperidin, it has been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels in animal studies. Most importantly this molecule is present in the peel and inner lining of the orange itself and so this benefit is lost when the fruit is juiced and the pulp thrown away.

Reduced anxiety and improved mood

Believe it or not you don’t even need to eat the orange to get health benefits (although I highly recommend eating it!). Even the smell itself can reduce anxiety and improve your mood. In this study it was found that patients visiting the dentist were less anxious, more relaxed and calm when exposed to the scent of orange before attending their appointment.

So there you have it, this sweet, cute, vibrant fruit can make you happy, improve your brain function, protect your heart, keep you energised, lower your blood pressure, improve your mood, reduce your anxiety and as they are up to 87% water they also help to keep you hydrated. All for around 30p a fruit. Bonus.

p.s Don’t throw that peel away, if you want lovely smelling skin and a cheaper, less chemical based alternative to shop bought face masks, try this.