Want to know what are the health benefits of citrus fruits juice? Continue reading this article and see how citrus fruits benefit your health. But first.
In wintertime, chugging down fresh citrus fruit juice can make the difference between sickness and health. Following a simple cure with citrus fruits juice can regulate our immunity, metabolism, body weight, and cleansing. But there are many more other health benefits of citrus fruit juices. And most importantly, they are available to most of us around the world. Let’s find out which are the health benefits of citrus fruits juice.
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The Citrus Fruits Family
Citrus fruits are a large family of trees and shrubs, numbering no less than 20 species and hybrids, that live in subtropical and tropical areas. Now, in the winter months, citrus fruits reach full maturity, which means that they have the optimal level of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other nutrients that the body needs.
For the citrus juice cure, the most commonly used are oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and mandarins.
These fruits are very rich in water (over 90%) and are ideal for keeping hydrated during winter, but also for full body detox, which is so necessary this season. Each of these fruits is rich in vitamin C, as well as other amazing nutrients, and here are the general health benefits of citrus fruits juice.
Health Benefits of Citrus Fruits – The 4 Most Popular
Before we get into the more detailed health benefits of citrus fruits juice, here are the general health benefits of the most popular citrus fruit juices.
Health Benefits of Orange Juice
Orange juice is the best-tolerated citrus juice by the digestive tract, thus it can be consumed in the largest quantities compared to other citrus fruit juices, due to its strongest diuretic effect. As a result, orange juice is a “kidney sweep”, an amazing remedy in the fight against kidney infections or kidney stones. Orange juice is best tolerated after meals because it naturally boosts digestion and metabolism.
Health Benefits of Lemon Juice
Lemon has the strongest energizing effect of all citrus fruits. Therefore, it is perfect for people with slow digestion, who wake up in the morning with difficulty or who feel deprived of energy. In addition, lemon juice boosts immunity, stimulants a healthy appetite, and fights nausea. Mentally, it induces a state of vivacity, because it activates attention, alertness, and the capacity for mental effort.
Health Benefits of Mandarin Juice
Mandarins are one of the best sources of vitamin A, with beneficial effects on eye health. It also strengthens healthy cell membranes and prevents infections. Mandarin juice contains the highest amount of easy assimilate natural sugars, helping to restore blood sugar levels and quench the appetite for sweets. This juice can have great benefits for people who do not tolerate the specific acidity of most citrus fruits, who are tired or overworked, and need a healthy drink that comforts and relaxes the mind.
Health Benefits of Grapefruit Juice
Grapefruit contains bitter substances, which makes it the best detoxifier of all citrus fruits. Grapefruit juice purges the liver and gallbladder and blocks the action of toxic substances, which makes it ideal for rebalancing the body after treatments with synthetic drugs. In large quantities, grapefruit juice is a formidable remedy for obesity because it boosts fat burning and helps regulate appetite. Grapefruit juice is especially recommended for meat lovers, but also for those who have a poor diet, rich in processed sugar, fats, and food additives. Grapefruit is also a great natural source of quinine.
Before we get into the more detailed health benefits of citrus fruits juice, here is how to make citrus juice and use it in healing cures.
How to Make Citrus Juice
The simplest way to make citrus juice is by using a manual citrus juicer or an electric one. If you want to invest in a great juicer that you can use for other fruits as well, we recommend a powerful slow juicer. For maximum therapeutic effects of these juices, it is best to consume the juice fresh, 5 to 15 minutes after making it. For cures with large amounts of juice, and multiple portions throughout the day, you can make the desired quantity for the day ahead, and keep it in the fridge for 18 hours at most.
How to Use Citrus Juice in Cures
To enjoy the health benefits of citrus fruits juice, follow a cure of 7 to 21 days, during which time between 500 and 1500 ml of juice is consumed per day. The exception is lemon, for which the daily dose is between 50 and 300 ml/day. Drink them in portions, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, and 15 minutes before a meal. Avoid drinking citrus juices during or after a meal, as they can negatively affect the digestion process.
The only exception is orange juice, which when drunk after a meal, speeds up the digestion process and improves intestinal transit.
In order to metabolize citrus juices, the body uses large quantities of calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Thus, while on a cure with citrus fruit juices, supplement these two minerals. When the body is running low on calcium and potassium, symptoms such as tooth decay, spasmophilia, and cardiac issues can appear. We recommend the natural supplements below.
7 Health Benefits of Citrus Fruits Juice
1. Weight Loss
Studies have shown that lemon juice and grapefruit juice before meals, stimulate the secretion of a neurotransmitter called cholecystokinin, which regulates, among other things, the secretion of digestive juices and influences the sensation of hunger, inhibiting it when it’s secreted in large quantities. Add to it the fact that grapefruit juice and lemon juice have very few calories, and that they regulate blood sugar and detoxify the digestive tract, and you will get a better idea of the weight loss remedy.
Moreover, the juice of these citrus fruits stimulates intestinal transit, flush excess water from the body, and prolongs satiety after meals due to the fibers they contain.
Start the cure by drinking the juice from one grapefruit and half a lemon, before each meal, for the first 2-3 days. Then increase the dose gradually, until you drink the juice of 3 grapefruits and one lemon and a half, before each meal. For the best results, follow this cure for three weeks alongside natural supplements of calcium and potassium. Yes, this is one of the top health benefits of citrus fruits juice.
1. Cold and Flu
Orange and mandarin juices have antiviral effects, and stimulate immunity, due to the high concentration of vitamin C. They also relieve certain flu symptoms, such as headaches, muscle aches, dizziness, and asthenia. Grapefruit contains some salicylic acid derivatives, that have an action very similar to conventional aspirin, but without its side effects.
To treat cold and flu, drink 1 liter of freshly squeezed orange and mandarin juice, portioned throughout the day for 3 days consecutively. The remedy is even more effective if add a little grapefruit juice and wildflower honey to it. This is one of the top health benefits of citrus fruits juice.
3. Kidney Stones
In the October 26, 2006 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, a study concluded that “a glass of orange juice a day prevents kidney stones from forming and their relapse.” The natural citric acid in the orange juice prevents the formation of oxalates and urates, the main culprits in kidney stones formation. For this, orange juice is the best citrus fruit juice out of the four abovementioned. Consume half a liter or a liter of orange juice, daily in 7-day cures, followed by a 7-day pause. This orange juice cure is ideal for people who have naturally or surgically removed kidney stones or have relapsed.
4. Cardiac Ischemia & Atherosclerosis
A study done in California shows that simply consuming one glass of orange juice or grapefruit per day reduces the risk of heart attack by approx. 25%, compared to other fruits and vegetable juices, which reduce the imminence of this heart disease only by 2 to 19%. Orange juice has been shown to have the properties of raising the “good” HDL cholesterol while lowering the “bad” LDL cholesterol.
Citrus pectins are a very valuable dietary fiber for heart activity. They help improve blood flow to the heart. Citrus fruits are also rich in natural folic acid (which most people following the North Americans and Western European diets are deficient in), which reduces the risk of cardiac arrhythmia, atherosclerosis, and cardiac ischemia.
5. Cancer Prevention
It’s a known fact that a Mediterranean diet is directly related to a much lower incidence of breast, lung, pancreatic, colon, and rectal cancer, compared to other diets. Or, citrus fruits are a key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet.
From these observations, researchers have discovered numerous anticancer substances in these fruits, which enforced what we know already about the Mediterranean diet. They found, for instance, that there is an inverse relationship between the consumption of vitamin C, which is found in large quantities in lemons, grapefruits, and oranges, and the occurrence of stomach cancer, esophagus, and oral cancer. Vitamin C also has a protective effect against the harmful effects of some carcinogenic chemicals, such as nitrosamines.
Furthermore, naringenin, a substance found in grapefruit, has – according to recent studies – an amazing effect: it repairs the DNA that has undergone mutations, thus preventing the transformation of healthy cells into cancer cells. The bottom line is this: drink at least 2 glasses of fresh citrus juice a day to prevent cancer. This is one of the most important health benefits of citrus fruits juice.
6. Gallbladder Attacks
Another one of the most important health benefits of citrus fruits juice is that it protects the gallbladder. Fresh grapefruit juice is an amazing remedy for gallbladder attacks. Drinking a glass of grapefruit juice first thing in the morning stimulates bile secretion, and prevents the apparition of digestive disorders, dyspepsia, and gallbladder crises. Enjoying a glass of grapefruit juice occasionally has a strong effect on unclogging the gallbladder, and stimulating the bile to flow into the duodenum.
People with gallbladder issues or frequent gallbladder attacks can drink 200 ml of grapefruit juice 30 minutes before each meal to prevent this painful condition. Make use of fresh grapefruit juice whenever you eat plenty of fatty foods or overindulge, it can help tremendously.
7. Hangover Remedy
A hangover is the body’s scream for help after a night of heavy drinking, which equals poisoning for the body. So it’s best to not about it. Still, a mix of fresh grapefruit and lemon juice (3:1 ratio) can be of tremendous help in ditching the hangover symptoms. Make 1 l of this juice and drink it in very small portions, a few tablespoons every half an hour.
Due to the bitter substances, it contains, grapefruit has a powerful cleansing and stimulating effect on the liver, while the aspirin-like natural substances in it, reduce headache and the feeling of nausea. It seems that grapefruit can partially block the harmful action of alcohol on the nervous system, preventing, to some extent, the occurrence of alcohol addiction.
Side Effects of Citrus Fruits Juice
Most citrus fruit peels are chemically treated for preservation or to maintain their coloring. Therefore, before making a citrus juice, wash the peel very well, under running water and possibly with a brush. Otherwise, you can get those harmful chemicals on your hands, and in the juice that you make. So watch out.
The cure with fresh citrus juices is not recommended for people with calcium, magnesium, or potassium deficiencies, because these juices consume a lot of minerals from the body for their digestion. To change this, supplement with natural sources of calcium, potassium, or magnesium.
Read Also: 10 Amazing Amla Juice Benefits and Side Effects
Very important! Never replace freshly squeezed citrus juice with bottled juice bought from the supermarket. Bottled juice may be organic, 100% fruit, and all that, but most are pasteurized and through pasteurization, all the vitamins and nutrients are lost, and all that’s left is citrus-flavored sugary water with zero health benefits. If you find raw bottled fresh juice made 100% from fruit, that’s OK though.
Now you know what are the health benefits of citrus fruits juice and how to use them not just for their pleasant taste, but also for their healing virtues. Let us know if you know of other health benefits of citrus fruits juice in the comments below. Stay healthy, naturally! If you’ve enjoyed the article on the 7 health benefits of citrus fruits juice, sharing it on Facebook or Pinterest can help us a lot. Spread the word. 💚
