Here Is How You Can Heal With The 5 Health Benefits Of Orange Peel

Jan 01, 2019 by apost team

Oranges, as we all know, are delicious fruits, but not many know that the peel they always throw out is actually beneficial to our health. In fact, some claim that the orange peel is even healthier than the fruit, itself. While we already know that oranges are beneficial to our physical health, promoting the human immune system, the peel can help a more extensive array of health and physical maintenance routines.

If you feel like you're coming down with a cold, eat an orange, but don't throw away the peel if you want to improve your diet and promote personal wellness. The following are five benefits of the orange peel. Heal with the peel!

1. Providing Dietary Fiber

istockphotos.com/hilmi_m

The orange peel is comprised of around 61–69% fibre and a significant portion of that is soluble fibre, at about 19–22%, making it an excellent digestive and dietary aid to help your body gain more thread on a daily basis. Since the orange peel is hard and bitter, you can consume it in powder form to attain these dietary effects, instead of merely biting into an orange, right out.

apost.com

2. Clearing Acne

istockphotos.com/PeopleImages

Phenolic antioxidants in abundance inside of orange peels are known to fight and kill the bacteria that causes acne on the skin. Another flavonoid, known as nobiletin, mitigates sebum production of the skin and helps prevent dirt and oil from gathering in pores. This, in turn, helps to clear acne for those who consistently use orange peels. Furthermore, the vitamin C found in fresh orange peel juice and oil can be applied to the skin to bring down swelling and treat certain pains.

3. Fight Bacterial and Fungal Problems

istockphotos.com/mphillips007

Orange peels have been proven to be useful in anti-inflammatory and antifungal treatment plans. The peel is rich in flavonoids, which are compounds categorised as the metabolites of plants. These are known to fight bacteria and fungi. Likewise, citrus oil contained in the peel possesses antimicrobial properties that are effective in battling and destroying bacteria and fungi.  

A study, "Antifungal activity of orange (Citrus sinensis var. Valencia) peel essential oil applied by direct addition or vapour contact", conducted by a team of scientists aimed to understand the antifungal efficacy of orange peel extracts. While orange peels that are vaporised typically yielded better results when fighting a fungal infection or other fungus-related problem, oil from orange peels worked faster.

4. Treating Inflammation

istockphotos.com/Tharakorn

The flavonoids mentioned above in orange peels act in the same way as an anti-inflammatory drug. Chronic inflammation can lead to a variety of disorders and diseases, including Alzheimer's, diabetes, cancer, and other cardiovascular diseases.

A study, "Anti-inflammatory effects of characterised orange peel extracts enriched with bioactive polymethoxyflavones", used six different orange peel extracts were used to understand their effects on inflammation. Consuming orange peels can stop inflammation from spreading and worsening. Swelling can get out of hand and escalate pretty quickly, so a huge part of treating these diseases lies in prevention. By using orange peels to reduce inflammation, you can prevent such infections from becoming a reality.

5. Fighting Cancer

istockphotos.com/man_at_mouse

The review, "Anticancer Activities of Citrus Peel Polymethoxyflavones Related to Angiogenesis and Others", published in The National Center for Biotechnology Information, examines the anticarcinogenic effect of citrus flavonoids in cancer treatment.

Polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), another flavonoid found in orange peels, has been proven to fight off cancer cells. PMFs fight cancer by stopping carcinogenesis by blocking the metastasis cascade from proceeding throughout other organs, therefore, slowing the speed at which cancer cells progress through the body. When combined with properly effective medical treatment plans, orange peels could be an important agent when dealing with terrifying cancers. Although orange peels are far from a cure for cancer, preventing cancerous cells from spreading is vital when battling this terrible disease.

Who would have thought that the orange peel could contain so many valuable properties to physical health? From increasing fibre to treating inflammation to killing fungus, orange peels bring a lot of health benefits to the table. So, the next time you eat an orange, hold onto the peel. Even if you don't wish to consume it directly, by eating it, there are many ways to get some use out of it. The peel can be turned into powders and teas, as well as vaporised to extract benefits from what most consider to be garbage.

istockphotos.com/ivanmateev

It even clears acne! Did you learn something new about Orange peels? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and pass the information to your loved ones!

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. Your health is important to us!