We’ve been told for years that oranges, mandarins and lemons are a brilliant source of vitamin C, great for fighting off looming colds and flus. But recent research released from a Brazil-based group shows that regularly consuming citrus fruits could be even more beneficial than once thought.

The team from Estadual Paulista University released a statement claiming certain flavanones (a type of antioxidants found in citrus fruits) could prevent or delay onset of chronic diseases caused by obesity such as diabetes, heart and liver disease.

The study followed a group of 50 mice who were fed a typical Western-style high-fat diet, with some of the mice being fed flavanones from oranges, limes and lemons.

The mice consuming a high-fat diet without the flavanones showed increased levels of cell-damage by up to 80 per cent in their blood, and 57 per cent in the liver. Conversely, the mice consuming the citrus antioxidants saw a reduction in their cell-damage markets by as much as 64 per cent.

On top of that, the mice that were treated with the flavanones displayed a reduction in accumulation and damage in the liver.

And while there has been no clear affects on increasing weight loss, the researchers noted that consuming citrus could be beneficial even for people who are not clinically obese, but consume a diet rich in unhealthy fats.

The next step of the study will be moving to human trials – stay tuned. Meanwhile, how about bumping up your citrus fruit intake using these zesty recipes on our website (click through the gallery below).

Text: The Australian Women’s Weekly / Additional Reporting: Sean Tan

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