Tangerines And Fiber

When Americans began enjoying processed foods in the early 1900s, their intake of dietary fiber decreased significantly. By the early 21st century, the daily fiber intake for most Americans is around 14 g a day, well below professionals' recommendations of 21 g to 38 g daily for adults. Tangerines, along with other citrus fruits, provide heart-healthy dietary fiber that can help to reduce this gap.

Fiber Contribution

A small tangerine, 2-1/4 inches in diameter, contains 1.4 g of dietary fiber. A medium, 2-1/2 inch tangerine holds 1.6 g and a large tangerine with a 2-3/4 inch diameter offers 2.2 g of fiber. Choose fresh fruit when it's available to get the most fiber per serving. A 1-cup portion of raw tangerine slices delivers 3.5 g of fiber, for example, while the same portion of canned tangerines has 2.3 g. One cup of raw or canned sweetened tangerine juice delivers only 0.5 g of dietary fiber, while tangerine juice prepared from frozen concentrate has no measurable fiber.

Significance

Tangerines offer enough fiber to make a significant contribution to your daily fiber goals. If you're a woman between the ages of 21 and 50, you should get at least 30 g of fiber from the foods you eat each day. A 1-cup serving of raw tangerine provides 3.5 g, or almost 12 percent of your daily requirement. Your children need 10 g a day plus one additional gram for each year of age. A large tangerine contributes 2.2 g of fiber, or almost 14 percent of your 6-year-old son's daily fiber goal.

Benefits

Tangerines contain soluble fiber that combines with bile acids within your digestive tract. Your liver pulls cholesterol from your blood to make more bile acids, lowering both total cholesterol and LDL, or "bad cholesterol," levels. When you eat a high-fiber diet, you reduce your risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke and heart attack. A diet rich in fiber also protects you against respiratory diseases and a variety of infections.

Adding Fiber

Tangerines go well with many high-fiber foods, including oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits. You can add a small orange for 2.9 g of fiber or half of a medium grapefruit for an additional 1.6 g. A salad made with 1-cup of raw spinach, 1/2-cup of chopped tangerines and 1 tbsp. of blanched almonds delivers more than 3.3 g of dietary fiber.