ROVIGO – “Out of season” fruit from other continents can be bought in winter, but usually only a few types of fruit are available on the market: apples, pears, oranges, mandarins and the like. The latter fall into the category of citrus fruits, cultivated plants belonging to the genus Citrus of the subfamily Aurantioideae (family of Rutaceae): in more detail we can mention lemon, lime, orange and bitter orange, clementine, mandarin, grapefruit, bergamot, chinotto, not to mention the more exotic species (mapo, finger lime, etc).
It’s about the first foods used in history as a therapy for scurvy, a form of avitaminosis (form of malnutrition) that affected sailors who for long periods were unable to go ashore to feed on fresh foods: it is caused by a lack of vitamin C (or ascorbic acid ) contained in citrus fruits. Scurvy is a preventable disease with a low dose (at least 10mg per day) of vitamin C: this nutritional pathology causes fatigue and in the most advanced cases of bleeding and bruising. Regular intake of the vitamin C contained in citrus fruits is the basis for the prevention of colds.
Lemon is a citrus fruit rich in vitamins C, A, group B, mineral salts (especially potassium), malic acid, and trace elements. Therefore it has an excellent antiseptic and bactericidal power and represents a valid help in increasing the immune defenses as it is able to “improve” the production of white blood cells. Lemon leaves also have calming and antispasmodic characteristics as they are rich in terpene hydrocarbons and some aromatic essences. Decoctions of well-washed lemon leaves can be recommended for those suffering from nervousness, insomnia, palpitations, headaches or asthma.
Like almost all types of fruit, citrus fruits are also particularly rich in water, the basic nourishment of every diet; considering that water constitutes 60% of the weight of the human body which loses at least 1.5 liters of water every day through the skin, lungs and urine, this quantity of water must be replenished with food.
In the Mediterranean diet, famous all over the world because it is balanced and low in fat, citrus fruits enter with full rights and not by chance, they play a very important role as foods rich in antioxidants that represent an effective defense against cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. They are also very suitable in low-calorie diets, both because they contain few calories and but a good amount of vitamins and salts and also have the ability to “fill” the stomach (ie a high satiating power); they are also important in all those situations that require a diet low in salts (eg in subjects with arterial hypertension), as they are poor in sodium, but rich in potassium. The oranges are also rich in calcium and are therefore useful for bone metabolism and in the prevention of osteoporosis. Citrus fruits are taken without the peel, but it is best not to eliminate the external cuticle (that is the white “hairiness” that covers the fruit segments) which is made up of fibers, that is substances that are not metabolized, but remain in the intestine and possess a vital importance for the regulation of intestinal function (peristalsis), that is, on the “going to the body” preventing constipation.
In citrus pulp, especially in that of the orange, there are also protective cardiovascular factors such as l’inositolo, inhibitor of hepatic synthesis of fats, and pectin, a soluble fiber present in all citrus fruits especially in the white parts, which improve intestinal peristalsis and reduce the absorption of fats and sugars: hence a reduction of the cardiovascular risk (i.e. of contracting heart and vascular diseases and of dying from them) of subjects who regularly eat oranges.
Many studies have demonstrated the therapeutic properties of the substances contained in citrus fruits (especially antioxidants, eg beta-carotene present in the pulp) in the treatment of neoplasms, bacterial and viral infections with obvious health benefits for individuals. Among the other antioxidant substances present in citrus fruits we can remember phenolic acids and flavinoids: among the latter, apigenin has been shown to cause a reduction in the replication of pancreatic cancer cells, even their death.
Among the nearly two hundred different substances contained in citrus fruits we remember the terpenes and polyphenols: among the latter, hesperidin has excellent anti-inflammatory properties capable of guaranteeing the integrity of blood vessels, increasing the tone of the vascular muscles and reducing their permeability. Among the anti-inflammatory substances we still remember the limonane, an antioxidant molecule capable of delaying skin aging.
Some citrus fruits like Mandarin in addition to containing water, mineral salts, fiber and vitamins, it also contains moderate amounts of simple sugars (eg fructose), which suggests its moderate consumption in the course of diseases such as diabetes mellitus and overweight / obesity. The mandarin also contains a fair amount of bromine, a mineral that causes mild sedation of the central nervous system and makes it an excellent natural calming and therefore an effective defense against insomnia when consumed in the evening.
The mandarancio is a cross between a mandarin and a sweet orange, that is, a hybrid variety of mandarin, without seeds. The most widespread in Italy is the “Clementina” variety.
Fulvio Fiorini
Nephrology specialist
Food Science Specialist
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