Generally, we know that oranges have an orange color and that oranges have many Health Benefits of Oranges for our body. But, now we will discuss a different orange than other oranges. The color of this orange is red. Many people call this orange ‘blood orange’. We will discuss this blood orange and what are the health benefits of blood orange for our body.
This orange comes from Sicily, Italy. The fruit is very expensive because it only grows in certain places in Italy. The taste of this blood orange is like raspberry , a sweet-sour taste with a strong flavor. Thus, the experts named this blood orange as the most delicious dessert in the world. This blood orange is available in winter around December-May. Blood orange has a hard skin and is hard to peel compared to other oranges.
Firstly, we will discuss why the color of this orange is red? To be sure, this orange is not a result of artificial or genetic mixing between certain fruits. The red color of this oranges is not the skin, but the flesh. Unlike orange flesh commonly colored orange because it contains yellow-orange pigment, this blood orange flesh is red because it contains a red pigment called anthocyanin. Anthocyanins are powerful flavonoids commonly present in fruits or vegetables that have red or purple color. Thus, blood oranges contain anthocyanins that can be likened to red leaves that fall in autumn.
There are 3 types of blood orange that famous. There are Moro, Tarocco, Sanguinello.
Moro blood orange is the blood orange that has the reddest flesh among the 2 other types. Moro has a sweet taste, but if it compared to Tarocco and Sanguinello, Moro blood oranges have a more bitter taste. Moro blood oranges are sold from December to March. Moro is usually cultivated in the United States.
Tarocco blood orange is the sweetest orange among Moro and Sanguinello. Tarocco blood oranges are the most famous blood oranges in Europe. But, the red color that is owned Torocco not as red as owned 2 other types of blood oranges. Tarocco blood oranges are available from January to May.
The third type is Sanguinello. This Sanguinello blood orange that found in Spain in 1929, has a sweet and soft flesh and has almost no seeds. The interesting thing of this blood orange is, although the Sanguinello fruit matures around February, but if we do not pick it, this fruit will still hang on the tree until April and can hold out until the end of May.
Nutrition value
Nutrition of orange blood is almost similar to the nutrients that oranges have in general. Excess of orange blood is this orange has little or almost no seeds. Blood orange is low calorie, so you can use this fruit as one of the intakes you need when you’re trying to losing your weight.
Below is the nutritional content that owned by 1 fruit blood orange.
Kilojoules                   268 kj
Calories                      64 kcal
Protein                        1.27 g
Carbohydrate             15.99 g
Sugar                          12.79 g
Fat                              0.17 g
Saturated fat              0.02 g
Polyunsaturated fat    0.034 g
Monounsaturated fat 0.031 g
Cholesterol                 0 mg
Fibre                           3.2 g
Sodium                       0 mg
Potassium                   248 mg
The carbohydrates and fiber present in this fruit is easily digested by our bodies. The main nutritional content of the blood orange is Vitamin C and folic acid.
Now, the thing that we will discuss is about what the health benefits of blood orange for our body. The list below is the health benefits of the blood orange that we have collected.
1. Overcome scabies
For those of you who are suffering scabies, you can get the benefit from blood orange, because of the many vitamin C contents in this orange. Vitamin C in this orange can also use to treat bleeding gums.
2. Rich in antioxidant
The well-known antioxidant function is to fight free radicals that can cause cancer or damage to blood vessels and organs in our body. Therefore, with the enormous amounts of antioxidants and vitamin C in this orange, our bodies can be protected from dangerous diseases.
The results of a study also showed that anthocyanins can help the body fight off diseases caused by age. Undoubtedly, the anthocyanin content of the blood orange can help the body heal itself.
3. Make your bones strong.
Calcium in the blood orange works to keep bones healthy and strong. There are another way to make your bones strong, that is Exercise For Bone Health. In addition, wear bone can also be repaired by calcium. This benefit is very useful for all of us especially for postmenopausal women and for people who suffering osteoporosis.
4. Useful for pregnant women.
Blood orange has a role in the formation of red blood cells. This benefit is needed by the fetus. Other things that can keep the fetus healthy is Health Benefits of Chocolate During Pregnancy For Fetal Growth . The formation of red blood cells is aided by the presence of a folic acid or known as vitamin B9 inside the blood orange. Other than that, blood orange can also increase hemoglobin in the body.
We recommend that you consume these oranges regularly because this orange can improve and increase hemoglobin, so your body can stay healthy and strong, especially for the woman who is pregnant. A study also shows that folic acid can help the body to fight some types of cancer and heart disease.
5. Benefits for the liver
Blood orange can help you reduce fat in your organs such as liver, pancreas, etc. This orange can also reduce your belly fat. Therefore, blood orange can help improve the performance of your organs and help the function of individual organs. There is Best Fast Way to Detox Liver besides use this blood orange.
6. Improves Digestion
As I said above, blood orange is rich in fiber content. Fiber is needed for the body because it can smoothly the digestion and can make blood glucose levels in the body become normal.
7. Wound Healing Faster
One of the antioxidant benefits of the blood orange is to help blood formation and help the coagulation process that is needed to heal wounds. In addition, it also serves to prevent infection of the wound. This is very beneficial for people who suffering diabetes because it can prevent complications in the diabetic foot.
8. Vitamin A for the eyes and body
One of the contents of blood orange is vitamin A. We all know that vitamin A can help in maintaining certain tissue health such as the retina, thus helping our eyes stay healthy.
9. Benefit for our skin
Still on the topic benefits of vitamin A content in blood orange. Besides the benefits for the eyes, vitamin A content in blood orange is beneficial for our skin too. Cooperation between vitamin A and retinoids in the blood orange can make your skin look younger.
10. Overcome infections
Indeed, our bodies get a lot of benefits from antioxidants and vitamin C. Besides the benefits we have discussed above, another benefit of antioxidants is to reduce inflammation in the body. Then, vitamin C has a function to boost the body’s immune so that our bodies are not easily affected by infection.
11. Blood orange can help us avoiding obesity
Blood orange has a lot of water content that can make us feel full quickly and make us full longer without lowering our energy level so we can keep working without the need for a lot of caloric intake. So, by consuming blood orange we can lose weight.
And, of course, by consuming it, we can avoid obesity that is usually caused by eating too much. You must know about Health Risks of Obesity so you can aware for the need to prevent obesity. So, try breakfast just by eating this fruit or by making it into juice and drink it to accompany you run your daily activities.
12. Overcome headache
Another great benefit that owned by blood orange is overcoming headaches. How to? Blood orange can be a source of ingredients for making oil. Then, this fragrant of oil blood orange can be a good aromatherapy to relieve headaches and even migraines. By massaging it on the forehead, this blood orange oil can relax your mind and body.
13. Heart Disease
Research also shows that this blood orange can be our body’s protector of carcinogens. In addition, according to nutrition experts, anthocyanin has anti-inflammatory properties that can affect to collagen, and also good to prevent cancer, diabetes and bacterial infections, and reduce the risk of heart disease.
14. Stop Wrinkles on SkinÂ
Because that cooperation can help your skin avoid the development of fine lines and wrinkles which as a result make our skin stay healthy and glow.
15. For Teeth HealthÂ
In addition, the content of vitamin A is beneficial to keep skin healthy and assist in the development of a routine network of skulls and teeth. Vitamin A has another benefit, that is Benefits of Vitamin A during Pregnancy
That is health benefits of blood orange for our body. Besides the delicious taste of blood orange, we can get many benefits from this fruit.
How can we use the blood orange? There are several options for processing blood orange. You can eat it right away or make it into a fresh juice. Or, you can use this fruit as a complement to your salad. The other alternative is you can slice the blood orange to complement your own homemade pudding. Try it!