What Do Oranges Give Us?

Sometimes, the best way to comprehend the meaning something imparts is imagining living without it. In the case of the orange, its absence would wreak havoc on the economy of Florida, because it produces 40 percent of the world's orange supply. Australian school children would miss the lunchtime ritual of holding an orange from the peel and eating the top like ice cream cone. Jamaicans would be need to use ordinary sponges, rather than the efficient and natural cleaning method of scrubbing the floor with an orange half in each hand. And finally, Americans would sorely miss the nutritional and culinary value they contribute to health and quality of life.

Fiber

The pulp of an orange contributes 3.1 g of dietary fiber, or 12 percent of the 25 g the body requires each day, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fiber upholds the health of the digestive tract. It also improves the composition of blood by removing excess cholesterol. Including more oranges in the diet is a step in the right direction for attaining the three to five servings of fruit the USDA recommends each day that contribute to healthy digestion and the preventing of cardiovascular disease.

Vitamins and Minerals

Citrus fruits are important in the diet because they provide a significant portion of the vitamin C the human body requires each day, which is necessary for upholding skin quality and the immune system function. The FDA recommends consuming foods that provide 60 mg of vitamin C. One medium-sized orange meets this requirement with a total of 70 mg. It also provides 237 mg, or 7 percent, of the 3,500 mg of potassium necessary daily for maintaining blood pressure and normal heart rhythm.

Culinary Uses

Hundreds of years ago, the elite classes in Europe had sole access to oranges. They grew them in private orange gardens called orangeries on their estate grounds. Today, people from all cultures and economic classes enjoy oranges as an ingredient in meals or a refreshing snack. An orange is a versatile culinary ingredient. It boosts the taste of ordinary green salads with a sweet, refreshing note. It adds color to and complements the flavor of chocolate-based desserts. It lightens the oily texture of seafood as a marinade or garnish. And, perhaps the most common of all uses is its role as the ubiquitous American breakfast juice.

Calories

The orange provides numerous advantages at a low cost to the body's required energy expenditure. Each fruit provides a mere 62 calories, or 3 percent, of a standard 2,000-calorie diet. If consuming too many calories is a health issue for you, as it is for two-thirds of the American population that is overweight or obese, including more nutrient-dense foods in your diet, such as oranges, will reduce your calorie intake and simultaneously improve your health.