By: Zdenka Jurković |
Tangerine – practical, tasty and healthy snack |
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Tangerine (lat. Citrus Reticulata) is a fruit from the citrus family.
Its orange and thin peel is easy to remove and the fruit is easily sliced.
It grows on the evergreen tree that is two to three meters high and has dark-green leaves with spiky ends.
It comes from South-East Asia and it was named after a light-orange clothes worn by Mandarins - clerks in ancient China - since this fruit was only available to privileged classes.
Although it has been grown in China for over three thousand years, it came to Europe and Northern America as late as the 19th century.
Tangerine’s content and healing properties
Tangerine is a practical, tasty and healthy snack that has a multitude of nutritive benefits.
One tangerine weighing about 110 grams contains 32 mg of vitamin C, which is a half of recommended daily amounts.
Vitamin C has an important role in collagen and elastin synthesis in our body. Collagen and elastin are proteins that build our skin, muscles and other connecting tissues.
This vitamin is a strong antioxidant and helps our body to eliminate free radicals that pose a threat to our healthy cells.
It also enhances wound healing and contributes to the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, arthritis, common cold and flu.
Numerous researches clearly show the connection between increased vitamin C intakes and reduced occurrences of several forms of cancer.
Tangerines are also rich in vitamin A and folic acid.
One tangerine contains 16% of vitamin A daily recommended amounts and 5% of folic acid daily recommended amounts.
It also contains minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper and iron.
One large tangerine contains 199 mg (or 6% of recommended daily amounts) of potassium, which is needed for balancing fluid levels within our body and for regulating blood pressure.
It also contains 44 mg (or 4% of daily recommended amounts) of calcium, which is needed for building and maintaining bone density.
Ideal food item for slender figure
Fibers, white tissue found between tangerine slices is called lamella. It is a membrane rich in soluble fibers.
Fiber content in one tangerine represents 8% of daily recommended amounts.
The biggest advantage of soluble fiber-rich diet is lowered amount of bad cholesterol in blood.
Fibers are useful in digestive system regulation since they enhance the elimination of waste from our body. Furthermore, fibers fill our stomach and make us feel full, unlike meals that are lacking fibers.
Tangerines are made of 85% water and one tangerine contains only 64 calories and 0.4 grams of fat, which makes it an ideal food item for weight loss.
Benefits of tangerine include:
- protection against various forms of cancer
- prevents skin aging
- helps heal wounds
- strengthens immunity
- protection against degenerative diseases
- helps in arthritis prevention
- accelerates metabolism
- reduces appetite
- protects our sight
Tangerine in aromatherapy
Tangerine essential oil is made by cold pressing raw tangerine peels.
Tangerine essential oil has sweet aroma and it is not used only for freshening our living spaces, but it treats various health problems such as:
- alleviates anxiety and nervousness
- enhances the work of the liver
- acne occurrence prevention
- insomnia treatment
- alleviates rheum and arthritis symptoms
- helps with diarrhea, constipation and flatulence
Essential tangerine oil is found in lotions for skin care, for prevention of stretch marks during pregnancy and is added into baths for relaxation.
It can be mixed with other oils such as clove, frankincense, lavender, muscat nut, cinnamon and sage.
Culinary application
Tangerine is a fruit of strong and sweet aroma.
It can be squashed into juice, added into salads, combined with vegetables and with deserts.
It is especially good with sweet and sour sauces.
Use tangerine as a decoration on ice-cream with a couple of drops of Grand Marnier or soak a slice of tangerine into chocolate fondue.
Buying and storing
Tangerines are winter seasonal fruits. Due to modern storing techniques, we can find them in supermarkets throughout the entire year.
Their season is between November and April, depending on the location and plant variety. They are cultivated in Northern Africa, along the Mediterranean coast, in China, Brazil, Japan and America.
Store them in cold and dark place. The best place to keep them in is a fridge, which prolongs their shelf-life up to two weeks.
Buy healthy fruits with light-orange peel that feel heavy and full when you hold them in hand.
Caution!
Be careful when purchasing because tangerines found in the store can be treated with various pesticides. If possible, buy organic tangerines or soak them in cold water for an hour or two before consuming them.
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