An orange a day keeps the nutritionist at bay

In our tattered abecedary of food, C is for Citrus—not to mention the vitamin that cures scurvy, fights infections, heals bruises, protects lungs and maintains healthy cartilage, bone and skin. These days, however, citrus fruits are about much more than vitamin C.

They abound in phytochemicals—170 and still counting. Also called phytonutrients, these components are found only in plants (phyto) and provide natural protection from human health hazards. Although science is still unraveling the roles that phytochemicals play, their tongue-twisting names are destined to become household words associated with disease prevention.

Lutein and zeaxanthin (pronounced zee-ya-zanthin) in oranges are antioxidant phytochemicals that protect eyes from macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness after age 65. Tangeritin, found in its namesake, tangerine, inhibits blood-clot formation and fights inflammation associated with heart disease. Pink and red grapefruit contain lycopene, another antioxidant that protects against prostate cancer.

Most people mistakenly think that the good stuff is only in citrus juice, but the fibrous white pectin we peel away is also rich in phytonutrients. The small juice vesicles, larger segment membranes, the central core and the white layer below the skin make citrus a pectin warehouse. We've long known that pectin, containing water-soluble fiber, promotes intestinal health and cholesterol reduction. But researchers more recently have learned that citrus pectin may also stop cancer cells from multiplying and spreading.

There are other reasons to eat whole fruits rather than turning to citrus juices. Eating a whole fruit enforces reasonable portion control and saves calories compared to drinking a glass of citrus juice. Segment by segment, these fruits foster the healthy habit of slower eating.

Oranges lead the citrus hit parade and are good sources of a group of B vitamins, known collectively as folate. Researchers have studied folate's role in suppressing blood levels of homocysteine, a component of protein that's a risk factor for heart disease.

Investigators in the Nurses' Health Study, following 86,000 women, found that each 100-microgram increase in folate consumption per day—the amount in two cups of orange sections—reduced the risk of heart disease by 5.8 percent. Women who exceeded the recommended dietary allowance of folate—400 micrograms—had the lowest risk of heart disease.

Potassium, abundant in all citrus fruits, strengthens and tones heart muscles and arteries while helping to regulate blood pressure. More recently, researchers discovered that citrate, an acid found in the fruits, helps prevent the formation of kidney stones.

Nutrition guides would like us all to be consuming three daily servings of fruit. With their high density of vitamins and phytonutrients, along with their extraordinary flavor packed into a scant 60 calories, citrus fruits are a great candidate to fill at least one of these every-day eating

prescriptions.

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