By Funke Oshifuye
Did you know that a single orange provides 116.2 per cent of the daily value for vitamin C and 12.5 per cent of the daily value for dietary fibre? Fibre can help keep blood sugar levels under control, which may help explain why oranges can be a very healthy snack for people with diabetes.

In addition, the natural fruit sugar in oranges, fructose, can help to keep blood sugar levels from rising too high after eating. The fibre in oranges can grab cancer-causing chemicals and keep them away from cells of the colon, providing protection from colon cancer and at the same time may be helpful for reducing constipation or diarrhea in those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.

Fibre has also been shown to reduce high cholesterol levels thus helping to prevent atherosclerosis. I mean, we usually drink the orange and throw away the peels. This wonderful effect is due to a class of compounds found in citrus fruit peels called polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs).

The orange juice also contains PMFs but in smaller amount. However, a practical way of achieving this cholesterol_lowering benefits is by grating a tablespoon of the peel from a well-scrubbed organic orange and using it to flavour your tea, salads, salad dressings, soups, hot oatmeal or even rice. Researchers are of the view that PMFs work like statin drugs, by inhibiting the synthesis of cholesterol and triglycerides inside the liver

Being an excellent source of vitamin C, an orange a day may help keep ulcers away. According to a recent study , eating an orange or drinking a glass of orange juice each day may help lower incidence of infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), the bacterium responsible for causing peptic ulcers which leads to increased risk for stomach cancer simply because it is high in vitamin C. So, get your freedom from gastric ulcers, by increasing your intake of oranges.

When you have a flu, your orange comes in handy because Vitamin C is good for preventing colds. It is also vital for the proper function of a healthy immune system and may be helpful in preventing recurrent ear infections.

Want to reduce your risk of having kidney stones? Then oranges may be your needed ally because studies have also shown that women who drank 1/2 to 1 litre of orange juice daily have increased urinary pH value and citric acid excretion which significantly reduced their risk of forming calcium oxalate stones.  It is  also a good source of B vitamins including vitamin B1 and folate. So eat or drink your way to good health by eating an orange or drinking a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice daily.