A List Of The Benefits Of Orange Peels

Many people who eat oranges discard the orange peel, mainly because of its bitter taste. Orange peels contain compounds that are beneficial to your health. One medium orange contains over 60 flavonoids and 170 different phytonutrients, according to Rebecca Wood, author of "The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia." Most of these beneficial compounds come from the albedo -- the white matter that hugs the orange. When you learn of the benefits the orange peel offers, you might change your mind about abandoning the peel the next time you eat an orange.

Skin Cancer Prevention

The flavonoids in an orange peel help vitamin C, an important antioxidant vitamin, work more efficiently. Flavonoids also retard the growth of cancer cells by withholding energy requirements needed by these harmful cells. In a 2000 study conducted at the Arizona Cancer Center, researchers found that d-limonene, a major component in orange peels, reduced the occurrence of squamous cell carcinoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. Participants who regularly consumed the peel of an orange had a significantly reduced rate of skin cancer over those who regularly consumed only the orange.

Inhibits Lung Cancer

Two compounds in orange peel may protect against lung cancer. A 2009 study conducted at the Department of Food Science at the University of Massachusetts found polymethoxyflavones contained in the peel of sweet oranges inhibited the growth of cancer cells of the lung. Another compound, called liminoid, might also be responsible for preventing cancer of the lung as well as cancer of the stomach, colon and breast.

Lowers Cholesterol Levels

An orange peel contains two important flavones: hesperidin and polymethoxylate. These are compounds that help lower low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol levels, according to a 2004 joint study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and KGK Synergize, a nutraceutical company. Researchers suggest that taking dietary supplements containing orange is more ideal than eating the peels. The reason: you would need to eat 20 orange or tangerine peels a day for the peels to have a therapeutic effect on LDL cholesterol levels.

Smoking Cessation

Orange peel extract is an ingredient used in a variety of health and beauty products, ranging from cold medicines to bath and body products. One notable product has shown to help with smoking cessation. According to Medical News Today, a scientifically proven nicotine gum, with dried orange peel as one of the ingredients, helps break down and remove nicotine from the body. The gum, which was developed by a Korean scientist and professor, Hyun-Won Kim, of the University of Yonsei's College of Medicine, is particularly helpful for those who are in the contemplation stage of smoking cessation -- or those who aren't quite ready to quit yet.