What is citrus? What is citrus fruit?

Autumn and winter are the period when the human body lacks vitamins and requires many useful substances that help to carry out the normal functioning and functioning of organs. Together with this, in the cold season, fresh citrus fruits are on sale. What is citrus fruit and what is their special feature? Let's take a closer look at what they are and what their difference is from each other.

What is citrus? Definition

The very name came from the Latin "citrus". And this word is translated as "lemon". That's how it was called a thousand years ago by the Arabs. By the way, they brought this kind of fruit to Europe.

Everyone knows about the fruits of sour taste, but what is citrus? The explanatory dictionary defines them as fruit trees or shrubs, to which belong lemon, orange and some other kinds of plants.

The total number of such fruits is several dozen, and they were all taken from a man of wild varieties.

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

Speaking about what citrus fruits, do not lose sight of other fruits, no less delicious 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 its application.

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

From Asia we were brought another fruit of this family - grapefruit. It is also considered a hybrid, but what exactly is unknown.

Less popular and familiar is pomelo. Refers to the subspecies of grapefruit. Externally - green with a thick skin. Most often used for candied fruit or jam.

But lime, probably the newest of all citrus. About him spoke only in the nineteenth century. And thanks for that you need to tell the British seafarers. The very name of the fruit in American slang sounds like "lime", and is translated as "Englishman".

All of the above species are eaten only without peel. But kumquat, which is considered a subspecies of orange, you can eat with the skin. To taste it is something like a mandarin.

Useful material

What is citrus, and what fruits are related to them, is already clear, but what is their special feature and what useful properties do they have?

Most importantly, it is one of the richest sources of vitamin C. Moreover, its level remains until the spring due to the fact that the fetus has a very thick, impermeable peel.

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

The champion in the content of vitamin C is an orange. In a medium-sized fruit, there is approximately the necessary daily norm. The second place went to grapefruit.

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

What does citrus still contain, so attract attention to yourself? They are considered strong antioxidants, reducing inflammatory processes in the body and slowing down aging. They help and normalize blood pressure, as well as reduce appetite.

Lemon

If you are asked what a citrus is, then most likely, the thought of lemon will immediately come to mind. Although an orange is considered a more popular species, but if suddenly a man gets cold, he immediately remembers the lemon, and not in vain. It has always been used as a medicine because it contains a lot of ascorbic acid and citrine, which helps the body better absorb vitamin C. In addition, lemon is also taken for the prevention of diabetes. The smell of this fruit perfectly helps to relax and eliminate stress.

Orange

The most popular type is an orange containing not only a lot of vitamin C, but also having vitamins B. Do not know why they are needed and what is it? Citrus, rich in this vitamin, is useful for the health of the whole body, as well as for sight. Pectin - another indispensable substance, also available in orange, helps to adjust the work of the stomach and the entire digestive system as a whole.

Mandarin

Although the fruit is very tasty, but it is a bit inferior to its fellow members in the content of useful elements. There are also vitamins C and A. They help with stomach diseases, especially if there is a disorder, build up an appetite. And the juice of mandarins is recommended to drink in bronchitis, as it cleans the airways perfectly.

Grapefruit

If an orange is a utility leader, then grapefruit is eaten by people watching their figure. Why is it so and what does citrus do, as a result of which it helps to lose weight? It contains the vitamins PP and D, which burn calories well. Grapefruit is recommended to people who are dieting, as well as those who are overweight. If you eat half of the fruit after eating, you can burn half of the calories. There are even special diets, where the basis of everything is oranges and grapefruits. But that's not all. It restores energy, exerts a tonic effect on the nervous system and helps to recover faster after the operations or infectious diseases that have been carried out.

Lime

Who does not know this fresh aroma and bitter taste? It is these features that made lime so popular in the preparation of various dishes of cuisine in Vietnam, Mexico and Thailand. It is also rich in various vitamins, calcium and even iron. Has antiseptic and antiviral effects on the human body. Good soothes and relieves stress.

Do not 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 taste and charm will be lost.

What is citrus? Contraindications and recommendations

It would seem that such useful fruit can be eaten by everyone and in any quantity. But as it turned out, despite the great benefits, there are some contraindications. Therefore, do not put too much stress on the fruit, if you are at risk.

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

Some of them contain a lot of sugar, so they are not particularly recommended for people with diabetes.

Limit consumption even if you are allergic.

Problems with the teeth - another ban on the use of acidic fruits. They contain acid, which adversely affects the enamel, which is not too good.

If you like juice from oranges, then after using it, rinse your mouth to remove acid residues.

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

As for the recommendations, the citrus can and should be eaten during the diet. They are low-calorie, unlike bananas and grapes. They are useful to people who have problems with the intestines.