Yes, oranges are delicious and healthy but do you discard the peels? STOP! Learn the benefits of boiling orange peels below.
People enjoy oranges worldwide for their mild sour flavor and wonderful flavor. Loaded with Vitamin C, they are a powerhouse of various nutrients and provide numerous benefits. Whether you have it directly, as juice, or add it to dishes, oranges are an essential part of our diets. Many are not aware that orange peels are essentially higher in nutrient value than the pulp itself.
Benefits of Boiling Orange Peels
Orange peels are a rich source of several nutrients, including:
- Fiber: Orange peels are a good source of dietary fiber, which is important for maintaining digestive health.
- Vitamin C: The peels also contain vitamin C, which is an important antioxidant that helps protect your cells from damage.
- Flavonoids: Orange peels are rich in flavonoids, which are plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Calcium: Calcium is also found in abundance in the peels of oranges. The nutrient is essentially important for maintaining strong bones and teeth.
- Potassium: Orange peels contain potassium, which is important for regulating blood pressure and maintaining heart health.
However, it’s important to note that orange peels can also contain pesticides and other contaminants, especially if they are not organic. Therefore, it’s best to wash them thoroughly before consuming them or consider using organic oranges to ensure safety. Additionally, orange peels are often bitter and tough to eat raw, so it’s best to use them in recipes such as zest or marmalade.
Here are the benefits of boiling orange peels:
Orange Tea:
You can use orange peels to brew a cup of refreshing orange tea. Just add a few small pieces of orange peels to the water and boil for about 15 minutes. Strain it and have it hot or cold. You may even add sweeteners like honey to enhance the taste. Some people add other taste enhancers such as ginger, and cinnamon, or mix it with traditional tea varieties such as green tea.
Air Freshener:
Oranges have a refreshing smell, and you can use that smell to freshen up your home. Adding a few orange peels in boiling water can add a pleasant scent to the whole room. This scent can also help in reducing headaches.
Do Orange Peels Lose Their Nutrients After Boiling?
Cooking the peels can lead to some loss of nutrients but not to a large extent. The peels can still provide numerous health benefits even if you boil them or cook them to make them easier to eat. Just make sure you clean the peels properly before eating to get rid of any pesticides on them.
Nutrition Facts of Orange Peels
Oranges are a significant source of Vitamin C, and their peels have a higher concentration of Vitamin C than their pulp. A regular-sized orange usually has around 60-70 mg of Vitamin C, while its peels have over 130 mg.
Orange peels are rich in flavonoids like polymethoxyflavones (PMFs) and hesperidin, and other phytochemicals, which some studies have shown to provide anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
These also contain various vitamins and minerals like copper, calcium, magnesium, folate, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin A, other B vitamins, and dietary fiber.
The peels have a component hesperidin that helps lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. It is even abundant in polyphenols, a plant compound that may help to prevent chronic conditions such as diabetes.
Health Benefits of Orange Peels
1. Digestive Health
Pectin in orange peels can help to improve overall gut health. It helps in relieving constipation and acidity.
2. Reduce the Risk of Cancer
Orange peels have flavonoids that can help in reducing the risk of cancer.
3. Improve Respiratory Health
Vitamin C in orange peels can help eliminate congestion and improve the overall health of the lungs.
4. Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Orange peels control sugar levels and reduce the risk of getting type 2 diabetes.
5. Heart Health
Pectin and hesperidin in orange peel lower levels of bad cholesterol and promotes good heart health. It even helps to control high blood pressure and has been used since ancient times to treat patients with high blood pressure.
6. Weight Loss
Various nutrients in orange peels work together in weight loss by burning fat, improving digestive health, improving metabolism, and reducing appetite.
7. Oral Health
Drinking orange peel tea can whiten teeth and removes bad breath.
8. Immunity Booster
Since it has such an abundance of nutrients that promote good health, orange peels can improve immunity.
9. Anti-inflammatory
This property of orange peels helps with joint pains and swelling. It helps treat patients with arthritis.
10. Heal Cramps
Drinking orange tea can help reduce cramps and soothe the digestive system.
11. Prevent Allergies
Orange peels prevent the release of the chemical histamine, which is responsible for allergic reactions.
12. Natural Skin Glow
Vitamin C can help get naturally glowing skin. Drinking orange peel tea can help brighten the skin and improve its texture.
Orange peels can provide innumerable benefits. Apart from taking it as tea, there are various other ways of eating orange peels, like adding them in salads (in small cut pieces), eating directly, adding zest in yogurt, or adding a few peels when extracting orange juice.
Precautions
Make sure you properly wash the peels before using them to get rid of any pesticide residue. It is recommended to use organic oranges for this purpose to prevent any side effects.
