Healthy Benefits of Eating Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits are an excellent source of vitamin C, a nutrient that strengthens the immune system and keeps your skin smooth and elastic (2, 3, 4, 5). In fact, just one medium orange has all the vitamin C you need in a day (6). Citrus fruits also have good amounts of other vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly, including B vitamins, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and copper (7). Additionally, they are rich in plant compounds that have various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. These compounds include over 60 varieties of flavonoids, carotenoids and essential oils, and they are responsible for many of citrus fruit's health benefits (7, 8).

Citrus fruits are a good source of fiber. Just one cup of orange segments contains four grams of fiber (6). To put that in perspective, it's recommended that you consume 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories you eat. It's estimated that only 4% of men and 13% of women in the US get that amount (9). Fiber has several health benefits, including improving digestive health and aiding weight loss. Oranges are particularly high in soluble fiber, the kind of fiber that helps lower cholesterol levels (10). Compared to other fruits and vegetables, citrus fruits are unique in that they have a higher ratio of soluble to insoluble fiber (11).

If you're watching your calorie intake, citrus fruits are a good choice. They're low in calories, yet their water and fiber contents help fill you up. Here's how many calories the main kinds of citrus fruits contain (6, 12, 13, 14, 15): 1 small clementine: 35 - 1 medium orange: 62 - 1/2 pink grapefruit: 52 - 1/2 white grapefruit: 39 - Juice from 1 lemon: 12. What's more, a 2015 study that looked at people's eating habits and weight over 24 years found that eating citrus fruits was linked to weight loss (16).

Kidney stones are painful mineral crystals. They can form when your urine is very concentrated or when you have higher-than-normal amounts of stone-forming minerals in your urine. One type of kidney stone is caused by low levels of citrate in urine. Many fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, can raise the levels of citrate in your urine, lowering the risk of kidney stones (17). Drinking citrus juices and eating these fruits can offer a natural alternative to potassium citrate supplements. According to data on American eating habits over the last 40 years, kidney stones are more common in people who eat fewer citrus fruits (18).

Many studies have linked citrus fruits to a reduced risk of certain cancers (1). In one study, people who ate one grapefruit or drank one serving of grapefruit juice daily had a lower risk of lung cancer (19 ). Other studies have suggested that citrus fruits may also protect against esophageal, stomach, breast and pancreatic cancers (20 , 21 , 22 , 23). These fruits contain a host of plant compounds, including flavonoids, that may help protect against cancer (8 ). Some of these flavonoids act as antioxidants and may block the expression of certain genes that are responsible for some degenerative diseases, including cancer (8 ). Citrus fruits may also help fight cancer by suppressing cancers, blocking the formation of new cancers and making carcinogens inactive (8 ).

Eating citrus fruits could be good for your heart. In fact, a Japanese study found that people who ate higher amounts of these fruits had lower rates of heart disease and stroke (24). Furthermore, a 2017 review suggests that grapefruits are linked to a decrease in systolic blood pressure (25). Several compounds in citrus fruits can improve markers of heart health. For example, their soluble fiber and flavonoids may improve cholesterol levels by raising "good" HDL cholesterol and lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (7). And many of the flavonoids in citrus fruits, including one called naringin, are strong antioxidants that benefit the heart in several ways (26).

The flavonoids in citrus fruits may help ward off neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which result from the breakdown of cells in the nervous system. In part, these diseases are caused by inflammation. Flavonoids found in citrus fruits have anti-inflammatory capabilities that are thought to help protect against the chain of events that causes the nervous system to deteriorate (27, 28). Specific types of flavonoids, including hesperidin and apigenin, have been shown to protect brain cells and improve brain function in mice and test-tube studies (27). Several studies in older adults have also shown that citrus juices may boost brain function (29, 30, 31).