ORANGE OIL SWEET -

A valuable medicinal herb, the orange originated in India, and by the Middle Ages was a favorite with Arabian physicians. In the 16th century, an Italian princess named Anna-Marie de Nerola reputedly discovered an oil extracted from the flowers, which she used to scent her gloves; today neroli oil, as it became known, is prohibitively expensive. The Chinese remain the greatest enthusiasts of medicinal oranges: the bitter Seville orange (C. aurantium) and sweeter tangerines and satsumas (C. reticulata) are mainly used.

 

The bitter orange has provided food and medicine for thousands of years. It yields neroli oil from its flowers, and the oil known as petit grain from its leaves and young shoots. Both distillates are used extensively in perfumery. Orange flower water is a byproduct of distillation and is used in perfumery and to flavor candy and baked goods, as well as being used for medicinal purposes.

USES

The strongly acidic fruit of the bitter oranges stimulates the digestion and relieves flatulence. An infusion of the fruit is thought to soothe headaches, calm palpitations, and lower fevers. The juice helps the body eliminate waste products, and, being rich in vitamin C, helps the immune system ward off infection. If taken to excess, however, its acid content can exacerbate arthritis. In Chinese herbal medicine, the unripe fruit, known as zhi shi, is thought to "regulate the qi," helping to relieve flatulence and abdominal bloating, and to open the bowels. The essential oils of bitter orange, especially neroli, are sedative. In Western medicine, these oils are used to reduce heart rate and palpitations, to encourage sleep, and to soothe the digestive tract. Diluted neroli is applied as a relaxing massage oil. The distilled flower water is antispasmodic and sedative.

Oranges and cardiovascular health - An orange a day promotes cardiovascular health. One health study found that drinking one daily glass of orange juice reduced the risk of stroke by 25 percent. Countless other studies have confirmed similar benefits from regular consumption of citrus.

For example, oranges are rich in vitamin C. They are also rich in flavonoids, such as hesperidin, that work to revive vitamin C after it has quenched a free radical. In other words, the hesperidin strengthens and amplifies the effect of vitamin C in your body. In an interesting human clinical trial, orange juice was shown to elevate HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) while lowering LDL (so-called bad) cholesterol.

The fiber in oranges is another major contributor to heart health. Citrus fruit (especially tangerines) are one of the richest sources of high quality pectin - a type of dietary fiber. Pectin is a major component of the kind of fiber that is known to lower cholesterol. Pectin is also helpful in stabilizing blood sugar. A single orange provides 3 grams of fiber, and dietary fiber has been associated with a wide range of health benefits.
Oranges also help prevent cardiovascular disease by supplying folate, also called "folacin" or "folic acid," when used in supplementary form. Folate is one of the B vitamins. The total folic acid content in the average diet has been found to be below the recommended daily allowances, and mild-to-moderate folate deficiency is common. In fact, folate deficiency is known to be among the most common vitamin deficiencies in the world. We know that dietary folate can play an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease; it is essential for the maintenance of normal DNA and also plays a role in the prevention of colon and cervical cancers, and possibly even breast cancer.

Folate plays an important role in lowering blood concentrations of homocysteine. Homocysteine is an amino acid by-product of protein metabolism and its role in cardiovascular disease is significant. High levels of homocysteine have been implicated in cardiovascular disease and even vascular disease of the eye. Folate works with the other B vitaminsB12 and B6 and probably betaine (a plant-derived compound that seems to lower homocysteine)-to remove homocysteine from your circulatory system. The homocysteine that is allowed to build up in your body can damage your blood vessels and ultimately precipitate a "cardiovascular event. " Interestingly, there is evidence that increased folate intake can actually improve heart health in people who have already developed heart disease.
Oranges and cancer - Recent news from researchers has demonstrated that oranges can play a significant role in preventing cancer. We know, for example, that the Mediterranean diet, which includes a considerable amount of citrus, is associated with a low incidence of cancers of the breast, lung, pancreas, colon, rectum, and cervix. Indeed, citrus fruits have been found to contain numerous known anticancer agents-possibly more than any other food. The anticancer power of oranges is most effective when the whole fruit is eaten: it seems that the anticancer components of oranges work synergistically to amplify one another's effects. The soluble fiber, or pectin, which is so effective for heart health, is also an anticancer agent. It contains antagonists of growth factors, which in the future may be shown to have a positive effect decreasing the growth of tumors. We know that in animals pectin has been shown to inhibit the metastasis of prostate and melanoma cancers.
One particular phytonutrient has attracted attention lately as a health promoting agent. Amazingly, we routinely throw out this most potent part of the orange. In the oil of the peel of citrus fruits is a phytonutrient known as limonene. Oranges, mandarins, lemons, and limes contain significant amounts of limonene in the peel and smaller quantities in the pulp. Limonene stimulates our antioxidant detoxification enzyme system, thus helping to stop cancer before it can even begin. Limonene also reduces the activity of proteins that can trigger abnormal cell growth. Limonene has blocking and suppressing actions that, at least in animals, actually cause regression of tumors. Mediterranean people suffer lower rates of certain cancers than others, and researchers now believe this can partly be ascribed to their regular consumption of citrus peel.
Vitamin C, abundantly available in oranges, also plays a role in fighting cancer. In fact, there's a relatively consistent inverse association of vitamin C with cancer of the stomach, oral cancer, and cancer of the esophagus. This makes sense, as vitamin C protects against nitrosamines, cancer-causing agents found in food that are thought to be responsible for instigating cancers of the mouth, stomach, and colon.

Oranges and stroke - Oranges seems to have a protective ability against stroke. In one case study citrus and citrus juice were major contributors to the stroke-risk reduction from fruits and vegetables. It has been estimated that drinking one glass of orange juice daily may lower the risk of stroke in healthy men by 25 percent while the risk is reduced only 2 percent from other fruits. It's very interesting that consumption of vitamin C in supplement form does not appear to have the same benefits as the whole fruit when it comes to stroke prevention. This suggests that there must be some other protective substances in citrus juices to account for their power to protect from strokes. The current assumption at this point is that it's the power of the polyphenols that make the difference. More than 350 to 400 milligrams a day of supplemental vitamin C for a period of at least ten years seems to be an effective means of lowering your risk of developing cataracts.