Citrus Fruits Which fruits are CITRUS FRUITS Oranges

Citrus Fruits

Which fruits are CITRUS FRUITS? § Oranges § Lemons § Limes § Grapefruits

History of Citrus Fruits! Oranges started growing 6, 000 years ago in Southeast Asia The first orange came to America in 1493 when Columbus brought them from Haiti Grapefruits started growing in 1823 in the West Indies The first grapefruit to grow in America was in the 1820’s

Citrus Fruits Today! Today citrus fruits grow in 31 different counties all over Florida is second in the world in orange production and is the world’s largest grower of grapefruits.

Why do we eat CITRUS FRUITS? Citrus fruit is one of the most important families of fruit. You should try to eat 3 to 5 servings a day. All citrus fruits and juices are full of vitamins and minerals necessary to help keep a body healthy.

Vitamin C * Antioxidant * Helps the body in the healing process * Helps strengthen body tissues, bones, and blood vessels * May help reduce the risk of some types of cancer * Aids in iron absorption

Vitamin C * * Helps decrease the risk of heart disease Helps prevents the buildup of “bad” cholesterol Reduces the risk of cataracts May help boost the immune system and shorten the length and severity of colds

Potassium • Potassium has many important functions: • Plays a key role in lowering blood pressure • Decreases the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes • Provides energy for the body which is necessary for the body’s growth and maintenance

Fiber • The fiber in citrus fruits does the following: Helps lower cholesterol Reduces risk of heart disease Protects against colon cancer Fiber aids the body in digestion of food

Folate in citrus fruits helps to: • Decrease levels of homocysteine, which has been found to increase risk of heart disease

Iron Deficiency • 77% of American women under the age of 50 are iron deficient • Citrus fruits like grapefruit may help with the absorption of non-heme iron – iron found in plants, not meat

Heart Healthy Foods Citrus fruits help decrease the risk of heart disease These fruits are low in sodium, cholesterol and fat! They contain fiber which helps lower your bad cholesterol levels

Fun Facts about Grapefruits! • Grapefruit got its name from the way it grows in clusters like grapes on the tree. • A grapefruit is 75% juice so one medium grapefruit can produce 2/3 of a cup of freshsqueezed fruit. • Grapefruits last up to 8 weeks when refrigerated.

Fun Facts about Lemons! • Lemon trees bloom and produce lemons year round – each tree can produce between 500 and 600 pounds of lemons in a year. • California and Arizona produce 95% of the entire U. S. lemon crop.

Fun Facts about Oranges! • After chocolate and vanilla, orange is the world’s favorite flavor. • There is more fiber in an orange than in most other fruits and veggies. • Brazil produces the largest amount of oranges in the world.

Fun Facts about Citrus Fruits! • Each person in the U. S. eats about 12. 5 pounds of citrus per year. • Citrus is the most widely grown crop in the world. • In Florida, there about 10. 3 million citrus trees on 853, 000 acres of land.