Citrus fruits are a "moderately rich" source of dietary fiber and one of the best sources of soluble fiber, which is one of the two types of fiber, according to "Dietary Fiber," a report by Oklahoma State University's Family and Consumer Sciences Department. Eating more citrus fruits is beneficial to your health because their fiber, as well as their high levels of vitamin C, reduce heart-disease risks, according to "Dietary Fiber" and "An Invitation to Health," a college textbook.
Identification
Citrus fruits come from the Rutaceae plant family, which was originally in Southeast Asia, but was brought to Europe and later to North and South America. The most well-known citrus fruits are grapefruits, lemons, limes, oranges and tangerines. Other citrus fruits include the citrange, citron, kumquat, pomelo and tangelo, according to The Columbia Encyclopedia. The three other major fruit groups are berries, melons and perennials, which include apples, bananas, grapes and pineapples.
Significance
Average Americans eat 11 to 13 g of fiber daily, but should eat 20 to 35 g, according to "An Invitation to Health." A lack of fiber has been linked to high rates of colon cancer, diabetes, obesity and strokes. The Food and Drug Administration permits companies to advertise on their labels that the food they are selling is "high-fiber" if it has 5 or more grams of fiber per serving and a "good source of fiber" if it has 2.5 to 4.9 g of fiber per serving.
Statistics
The USDA's National Nutrient Database reports that there are 3.1 g of fiber in one orange, while one grapefruit, one lemon and one tangerine have 2.6, 1.6 and 1.5 g of fiber, respectively. Processing citrus fruits removes fiber, because orange juice, lemon juice, grapefruit juice and tangerine juice have 1.7, 1, 0.8 and 0.5 g of fiber, respectively.
Benefits
Citrus fruits could lower your heart-disease risk because they are among the foods with the most pectin, a soluble fiber that "may have a role in lowering blood cholesterol," according to the Oklahoma State University report. Apples and squash are the only foods that have as much pectin as citrus fruits. In the report's section on fiber content of foods, grapefruits, oranges and tangerines are listed as "moderately rich" sources of fiber. Blackberries, raspberries and prunes are the only fruits regarded as high-fiber foods.
Comparisons
Citrus fruits are also among the best foods for fighting diabetes because foods high in soluble fiber reduce blood sugar, according to the Mayo Clinic and the Oklahoma State report. The Mayo Clinic reports that one orange and half of a grapefruit are among several foods that "may help protect against" diabetes, heart attacks and strokes because they have 1 g of soluble fiber. Other foods with 1 g of soluble fiber per serving include several beans, apples, blackberries, carrots, peas, broccoli and oat bran.
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