What Happens If You Boil An Orange And Drink It

Everyone knows citrus, particularly oranges, are good for vitamin C. But did you know it's mostly in the peel and pith? Yeah, me either! I don't know if you've ever tried to eat the peel but it's very bitter and sharp. It's not very a-peel-ing. Let's leave the puns behind and jump into today's article!

Orange peel teaPhoto byRichelleg

Boiling an orange extracts the goodness from the rind and pith while also softening and mellowing the pith's flavor. Eating the peel is generally not a smart idea unless the fruit is organic, because you'll eat all the junk they spray along with the peel.

Oranges' Medical Advantages

The following are some advantages of eating orange peels:

• Compared to the interior fruit, it contains about three times as much vitamin C.
• Four times more fiber.
• It's full of polyphenols. *
• Limonene-based essential oils. *
• Peels are full of calcium, riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin B6, folate, and other vital nutrients.

* For clarification, polyphenols are also known as antioxidants when combined with other dietary reducing agents like vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids.

It's so good, especially with cinnamon!Photo byRichelleg

* In the body, limonene functions as an antioxidant, absorbing and eliminating harmful free radicals before they have a chance to damage cells. As dietary limonene lessens oxidative stress in your body, it may help reduce your risk of developing some malignancies and aging symptoms.

Oranges can aid in the prevention and/or treatment of the following physical and medical conditions:

• Anemia: they aid in improving food's ability to absorb iron.
• HDL: Regular consumption of cholesterol can raise levels of HDL, or good cholesterol.
• Collagen: aids in the production of collagen, which is beneficial to skin health and wound healing.
• Immune system: Because of their anti-inflammatory qualities, they support a robust and healthy immune system.
• Eyes: Slows AMD, or age-related macular degeneration.
• Cardiovascular Disease: lowers the chance of getting heart disease. Oranges include hesperidin, which can also decrease high blood pressure.
• Flavanones have the potential to prevent c.

Orange peel teaPhoto byRichelleg

How to Boil an Orange the Right Way

Boiling an orange allows the nutrients to seep into the water, just like when you make tea. We juice the orange first, however, because boiling the inside of the orange will deplete the vitamin C content.

Although you can drink this orange water anytime of the day, it tastes best in the early afternoon or right before lunch. Oranges are said to be a high-energy fruit because of their sugar content and vitamin C content, which might help you feel more energized (so don't drink right before bed!)

Ingredients

• One organic orange
• Filtered water

You can drink it iced too!Photo byRichelleg

Directions

If organic oranges aren't available, be sure to give your orange a thorough cleaning under running water and with a vegetable scrubber to get as clean as possible.

• Cut the orange in half.
• Using a squeezer, extract the orange juice and save it aside for later use.
• Cut your orange peels, pith, and leftover flesh into strips.
• Put in a pot with water.
• After bringing it to a boil, let it boil for three minutes.
• When the timer goes off, immediately turn off the heat and steep it until it has cooled down, if you want to drink it cold, or for about ten minutes, if you want to drink it warm.
• Take out the peels, pour into a glass or mug, and add your orange juice back in.

When served warm, this tastes great with a dash of cinnamon tossed in.

You can add it to regular tea, too!Photo byRichelleg

Attributions:

Rd, K. M. M. (2021, April 19). Can You Eat Orange Peels, and Should You? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/can-you-eat-orange-peels

D, S. C. P. (2022, October 5). What Are the Benefits of Orange Peel? 9 Uses & Nutrition. MedicineNet. https://www.medicinenet.com/what_are_the_benefits_of_orange_peel/article.htm