Tangerines are smaller, sweeter, and lighter versions of oranges. They're also usually easier to peel than pretty much any other citrus fruit and give off a distinct aroma. Not only do they taste and smell great - they're also bursting with nutrients and can help with maintaining good heart, muscle, hair, skin and digestive system health. Let's dive into the scientific facts about this great fruit:
What we look out for most as we age are changes to our faces. Of course, the more we take care of our facial skin, the more youthful we look. Try making yourself an all-natural face mask using one tablespoon plain yogurt, one teaspoon honey, and the juice from three or four tangerine segments. Apply it to your face, leave it on for 10-15 minutes, then rinse it off and apply your usual moisturizer. This will rid your skin of excess oil and bacteria, leaving your face looking radiant.
Vitamin C is one of the vitamins that contribute to the health of our gums. If you frequently get puffy, red gums that bleed when you brush your teeth, you are probably in need of a boost of this vitamin, and tangerines are a great source of it. So, unless you want to suffer from gingivitis in the future, eat tangerines regularly to keep your smile in check.
Another thing that tangerines can improve is bone health. According to a study carried out at Tufts University, men who consumed plenty of vitamin C and potassium, both found in tangerines, saw improvements in their bone density and in reduced bone fracture frequencies. So, to keep your bones from going brittle, you should stock up on some tangerines.
Tangerines consist of antioxidants, which are known to offer a wealth of benefits to your skin. One of the wonderful things they can do is help you maintain a youthful glow. This means that eating tangerines regularly can slow down the aging process, enabling your skin to look its very best for longer.
Certain food combinations can be especially good for your health, and this is just as true for tangerines. When a tangerine's vitamin C teams up with the dietary iron from another food, such as spinach, it enables your body to absorb the iron much more easily. Iron is essential for our health, and a lack of it may result in fatigue, shortness of breath, dark circles under the eyes and pallor.
In addition to making your hair shiny, tangerines can contribute to stabilizing hair growth, reducing hair loss in the process. They can delay your hair from going gray. A recent study found that "bad hair days" can have an undesirable effect on our self-esteem, which can lead to social insecurities and declines in self-worth. Eating tangerines or applying their juice to your hair and scalp will make them both look and feel better.
Did you know that the smell of citrus has some surprising psychological effects? Smelling a tangerine can improve your mood significantly, according to Barbara Thomley, the lead coordinator for the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic. Smelling one reduces stress and anxiety levels, leaving you feeling more relaxed. So the next time you're feeling low, you may find sniffing a tangerine to be an instant mood-booster.
With their nutritional value, tangerines won't just shield you from certain illnesses, but help you to fight them off as well. Your battle against the common cold, for example, can easily be reinforced with the help of the vitamin C present in this fruit. Perhaps you could also consider pairing it up with a cup of mint tea to enhance its effectiveness. Check out this insightful article about the health benefits of bananas.
Tangerines are rich in vitamin A, a digestive system essential. A substantial intake of this vitamin may have positive effects on nutrient absorption and hydration in your digestive tract. Besides, tangerines contain three to four ounces of water, which is also great for digestion.
If you're looking to build some muscle, you will need to stock up on some useful foods. Although bananas are more well-known for being rich in potassium, tangerines also possess a significant amount of it (115+ mg), making this tiny fruit incredibly beneficial for muscle growth and recovery. While we're at it, check out this insightful article about the health benefits of bananas.
The fruit also contains the flavonoid called nobiletin, which is great for preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes. Evidence has shown that tangerines act as natural agents, which lessen the buildup of fat (especially in the liver) by preventing it from being stored and helping the body burn it off.
In addition to preventing the onset of diabetes, the aforementioned nobiletin also helps prevent atherosclerosis, which is the hardening of arteries and blood vessels due to plaque buildup from high cholesterol. It is the leading cause of a number of serious heart conditions, such as heart attacks and strokes. With regard to the risk of blood clot-related strokes, a Nurses’ Health Study found that this decreased by 19% in women who had a consistent intake of citrus fruits such as tangerines.
Because tangerines contain nearly 20 mg of folate, which is the naturally-occurring version of folic acid, they are considered beneficial for your blood. This vitamin promotes DNA cell repair, as well as cell and tissue growth. Note that one tangerine isn't enough to cover your recommended daily folate intake, but it sure is an inviting way to boost it.
Apart from being a filling fruit due to its plentiful water content, a tangerine contains certain fibers that can keep you satiated for longer. This makes it a fantastic between-meal healthy snack. What's more, tangerines boost the production of cortisol, a stress hormone that affects the body's way of storing fat, enabling you to keep your body slim.
Certain compounds found in tangerines, namely tangerin, and limonoids, are thought of possessing disease-fighting properties, especially against leukemia and breast cancers. According to some Korean studies, there appears to be a link between the intake of tangerines and the reduced risk of these diseases, however, this remains unproven. Nevertheless, we're sure you'll feel much healthier if you eat lots of this potent citrus fruit!
And speaking of disease-fighting foods, don't forget to check out our list of cancer-fighting superfoods,
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