What is citrus? What are citrus fruits?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Autumn and winter is a period when the human body lacks vitamins and needs a lot of useful substances that help to carry out the normal functioning and functioning of organs. At the same time, fresh citrus fruits go on sale in the cold season. What are citrus fruits and what is their speci alty? Let's take a closer look at what they are and how they differ from each other.

What are citrus fruits? Definition

The name itself comes from the Latin "citrus". And this word is translated as "lemon". That is what the Arabs called it a thousand years ago. By the way, they brought this type of fruit to Europe.

Everyone knows about sour-tasting fruits, but what are citruses? The explanatory dictionary defines them as fruit trees or shrubs, which include lemon, orange and some other types of plants.

The total number of such fruits is several dozen, and all of them were bred by man from wild varieties.

The most popular and common citrus fruit is, of course, the orange. For the first time, and a very long time ago, he appeared in China. It is believed that he is a hybrid of mandarin and pomelo. Now the orange grows in almost every southern country. If you look at the statistics, it turns out that the consumption of this fruit is much more than even apples. Although in our country they are the most common.

Speaking of what citrus fruits are, you should not lose sight of other fruits that are no less tasty than oranges. For example, tangerines, grapefruits, pomelo and lime. All of them also belong to this category and are in no way inferior to the leader. Each of them has found a use.

Mandarin appeared in our country from East Asia and, by the way, took root very well in the subtropical climate.

Another fruit of this family, the grapefruit, was also brought to us from Asia. It is also considered a hybrid, but what exactly is unknown.

Less popular and familiar is the pomelo. Belongs to the grapefruit subspecies. Outwardly - green with a thick peel. Most often used for candied fruit or jam.

But lime is probably the newest of all citrus fruits. They started talking about it only in the nineteenth century. And thank you for this you need to say to the British sailors. The very name of the fruit in American slang sounds like "lime", and is translated as "Englishman".

All of the above types are eaten only without peel. But the kumquat, which is considered a subspecies of the orange, can be eaten with the skin. It tastes somewhat like a tangerine.

Useful substances

What are citruses, and what fruits belong to them, is already clear, but what is their peculiarity and what useful properties do they have?

The most important thing is one of the mostrich sources of vitamin C. Moreover, its level is maintained until spring due to the fact that the fruit has a very thick, impenetrable peel.

Many believe that the more acidic the fruit, the more vitamin it contains. In fact, this is absolutely not true. Its content does not depend on taste. For example, parsley, which is not sour at all, contains much more of it than lemon.

Champion in vitamin C content - orange. A medium-sized fruit contains approximately the required daily allowance. Second place went to grapefruit.

In addition, citrus fruits also contain other substances. First of all, folic acid, which is extremely useful for the nervous and reproductive systems. One fruit contains the daily requirement of this vitamin, which is also called B9.

What else do citruses contain that attracts so much attention? They are considered powerful antioxidants that reduce inflammation in the body and slow down aging. They help to normalize blood pressure and reduce appetite.

Lemon

If you are asked what a citrus is, then, most likely, the thought of a lemon will immediately come to mind. Although an orange is considered a more popular species, if a person suddenly catches a cold, he immediately remembers the lemon, and for good reason. It has always been used as a medicine because it contains a lot of ascorbic acid and citrine, which helps the body to better absorb vitamin C. In addition, lemon is also taken to prevent diabetes. The smell of this fruit is wonderfulhelps to relax and eliminate stress.

Orange

The most popular type is an orange, which contains not only a lot of vitamin C, but also contains vitamins B. Do you know why they are needed and what they are? Citrus, rich in this vitamin, is good for the he alth of the whole body, as well as for vision. Pectin, another irreplaceable substance also found in orange, helps to improve the functioning of the stomach and the entire digestive system as a whole.

Mandarin

Although the fruit is very tasty, it is slightly inferior to its counterparts in terms of the content of useful elements. Vitamins C and A are also present here. They help with diseases of the stomach, especially if there is an upset, improve appetite. And tangerine juice is recommended to drink with bronchitis, as it perfectly cleanses the respiratory tract.

Grapefruit

If an orange is the leader in terms of usefulness, then grapefruit is the leader in eating among people who look after their figure. Why is it considered so and what does citrus do, as a result of which it helps to lose weight? It contains vitamins PP and D, which burn calories well. Grapefruit is recommended for people on a diet, as well as for those who are overweight. If you eat half of the fruit after a meal, you can burn half of the calories received. There are even special diets where the basis of everything is oranges and grapefruits. But that's not all. It restores energy, has a tonic effect on the nervous system and helps to recover faster after surgery or infectious diseases.diseases.

Lime

Who doesn't know this fresh aroma and bitter taste? It is these features that have made lime so popular in the preparation of various dishes of the cuisines of Vietnam, Mexico and Thailand. It is also rich in various vitamins, calcium and even iron. It has an antiseptic and antiviral effect on the human body. Good for calming and relieving stress.

Don't confuse lemon and lime. Some even think that they are the same, and the green color indicates that the fruit is not ripe. This is the most common misconception. These fruits are completely different. They are not even replaced in the preparation of dishes or drinks, otherwise all the taste and charm will be lost.

What is citrus? Contraindications and recommendations

It would seem that such he althy fruits can be eaten by everyone and in any quantity. But as it turned out, despite the great benefits, there are some contraindications. Therefore, you should not lean too heavily on the fruits if you are at risk.

First of all, citrus fruits - in general and any kind - are contraindicated in the presence of a stomach ulcer or gastritis, in which the body has high acidity.

Some of these are high in sugar and therefore not recommended for people with diabetes.

Restrict your intake even if you have allergies.

Dental problems are another ban on eating sour fruits. They contain acid, which adversely affects the already not very goodenamel.

If you like orange juice, be sure to rinse your mouth after drinking it to eliminate acid residue.

Do not eat a lot of fruits during pregnancy. There is a risk that the child will be allergic to citrus fruits or severe diathesis.

As for recommendations, citrus fruits can and should be eaten during the diet. They are low in calories, unlike bananas and grapes. They are also useful for people who have problems with the intestines.