Citrus fruits, such as orange or pineapple, promote health benefits, primarily for building and maintaining healthy cells throughout the body. Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, which is an essential component in collagen formation, for example, a protein that gives elasticity and firmness to the skin.
Citrus fruits also strengthen the immune system, are important to prevent diseases, such as scurvy, and to increase iron absorption, thus helping to fight anemia.
Other benefits of citrus include
Despite all the benefits of citrus, those with inflammation of the esophagus should avoid these fruits, as they can aggravate pain, those with this problem can choose foods with less vitamin C, such as avocado, apricot, pumpkin or zucchini, for example. , to obtain the amount of vitamin C from the body, without damaging inflammation of the esophagus.
Citrus fruits are all those that have a lot of ascorbic acid, which is vitamin C and that is responsible for the acidic taste of these fruits, some examples of citrus are:
A serving of 100 g of strawberries or 1 glass of natural orange juice a day, for example, is enough to meet the body’s daily vitamin C needs, which for a healthy adult is 60 mg.
See the full list of foods rich in vitamin C: Foods rich in vitamin C
The best way to consume citrus fruits is natural, without any treatment, as vitamin C is damaged by light, air and heat. Citrus juices should be stored in the refrigerator in a dark, covered jar, for example, to prevent vitamin C from spilling. Citrus cakes, such as orange pie, no longer have vitamin C because when baked, heat destroys the vitamin.
Citrus fruits during pregnancy and lactation help women ingest the necessary amount of vitamin C for the body, which is higher during pregnancy and lactation.
Pregnant women need 85 mg of vitamin C a day and women who breastfeed 120 mg a day, which can be easily achieved with 2 servings of 100 g of citrus fruits, such as orange and kiwi, for example.
Because citrus fruits have fiber, they can cause abdominal discomfort in the baby, if the mother notices changes in the baby when she eats citrus, she may opt for other foods that are a source of vitamin C, such as bananas and carrots, for example.