Making a lemonade, peeling an orange or reaching out for some other citrus fruits are some of the first things people do when feeling sick or under the weather. These colourful and refreshing fruits can support our immune system. Citrus are delicious and an important part of a balanced diet. This class of fruits includes lemons, oranges, grapefruit and limes, but other hybrids and varieties, like clementines, mandarines, pomelo and tangerines, as well. Keep reading to learn more about the history of citruses, their benefits on human health, and other interesting facts.
Origins and History of Citrus
It is believed that citrus fruits originated from tropical and subtropical regions of South and Southeast Asia, including the Malay Archipelago. The citron (Citrus medica L.) was the only citrus known in ancient Europe and the Mediterranean, while lemons, limes, pomelos, and sour oranges were later brought to Europe by Muslims via Iberian Peninsula and Sicily between the 7th and 11th centuries. Grapefruits, mandarins, and sweet oranges arrived even later, between the 15th and 19th centuries, through British and Portuguese trade. Eventually, other regions with suitable climates for citruses started cultivating this kind of fruit, as well.
For example, countries like Spain and other tropical places did their part to bring citrus to other lands, including the Americas. Today, citrus is grown commercially on every continent except Antarctica. While Asia remains the largest producer, accounting for over 51% of the world’s supply, significant cultivation occurs across the globe.
Following their spread from Asia, citrus fruits became embedded in medical and everyday practices from antiquity to the 16th century. Authors such as Theophrastus, Pliny the Elder, and Dioscorides recorded extensive uses of citron, lemon, and orange.
One of the most frequently cited uses was as an antidote to poison. Citron was taken with wine, eaten beforehand, or used as juice or pips against toxins, including aconite, and even for scorpion and viper bites. Similar antidotal properties were attributed to lemon and lime.
Beyond medicine, citrus fruits had practical roles. Their strong scent made them useful for protecting stored clothes from moths, a method recommended across centuries by classical and early modern writers.
Citrus was also valued for digestive health and breath. Fruits, juices, and peels were used to freshen breath, ease nausea, prevent vomiting, and support weak stomachs, often prepared as syrups, marmalades, or with honey. Medicinal uses extended to fevers, dizziness, and recovery after childbirth. Lemon juice was described as addressing intestinal worms, kidney stones, and throat abscesses, while also being associated with improving blood and cleansing the liver.
Culinary and cosmetic uses developed alongside these medicinal roles. Citron pulp was cooked into sauces, while lemon and pomelo juice were commonly served with meat and fish. Preserves and marmalades made from citrus peel were widely consumed. For skin care, lemon juice was used to reduce blemishes, citron seed poultices to lighten the skin, and orange juice to improve complexion and address jaundice-related pallor.
Other uses included citron-based syrups as diuretics, lemon for reducing the effects of drunkenness, and orange flower water as a tonic. Even orange wood was believed to protect against woodworm, reflecting the wide-ranging role of citrus. Modern scientific research has revisited historical claims about citrus fruits, with some findings supporting traditional uses and others revealing new potential applications.
Components of Citrus Fruits and Health Benefits
Lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, and all other variations of citrus fruits contain components that are very powerful in fighting diseases and boosting the immune system. The nutrients and phytochemicals that help people improve their overall health are vitamin C, flavonoids, and dietary fiber.
- Citrus fruits are particularly rich in vitamin C. In fact, just one medium orange provides the daily requirement of vitamin C. This vitamin is important for the good functioning of the human body, especially when it comes to the immune system. Vitamin C can help to reduce the duration and severity of colds. Furthermore, it is an antioxidant and can protect human cells against the effects of free radicals and fight inflammation. As an antioxidant vitamin C may slow down the ageing, and makes the skin smooth and elastic. By reducing inflammation, vitamin C may prevent or delay heart diseases and even some types of cancer. The human body needs vitamin C for forming and maintaining healthy bones, skin, connective tissues and blood vessels. However, the benefits of citrus fruits extend beyond a singular nutrient.
- Flavonoids are plant-based nutrients, also known as phytonutrients. They are responsible for the plant’s bright colour and the typical aroma. Flavonoids are one of the reasons citrus fruits are considered to have remedy qualities. Similarly to vitamin C, these phytonutrients protect the cells against the damage of free radicals. Therefore, they have therapeutic benefits against neurodegenerative disorders, like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular diseases, especially arteriosclerosis, cancer and diabetes. Citrus flavonoids can lower arterial blood pressure, increase insulin secretion and sensitivity, and decrease insulin resistance. Finally, flavonoids in citrus can regulate gut bacteria (microbiome) composition, thus improving gastrointestinal inflammation and overall health.
- There are two types of Dietary Fibre, soluble and insoluble fibre, which can be found in citrus fruits. Dietary fibres have many benefits. They can lower cholesterol, reduce cardiovascular diseases, improve glucose control, and help food move more efficiently through the digestive system.
Citrus fruits contain many other nutrients, minerals and vitamins, including both glycaemic and non-glycaemic carbohydrates (sugars and fibre), potassium, folate, calcium, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and a variety of phytochemicals.
Tips for Consuming More Citrus
Although important for a balanced diet, consuming citrus can be challenging sometimes. The most obvious way to consume citrus is to take one piece of fruit, peel and eat it. But if you do not like the taste of citrus fruits and you are struggling to eat the recommended daily intake, take into consideration some useful tips and try being a bit more creative.
- Add citrus fruits to your favourite salads and salad dressing. Use lemon instead of vinegar, grapefruit if you like a bitter taste or a bit of orange juice if you like a combination of sweet and sour.
- Citrus, especially lemons, pair nicely with fish and are a good addition to siders like salsa.
- Freshly squeezed juice is full of vitamins, refreshing and always a good choice for consuming different citruses at the same time.
A slice or two of your favourite citruses can be added to water. You can also add cucumber slices, spearmint leaves and some ginger to add even more flavour.
Addressing the phenomenon of fruit cracking
Despite knowing all the benefits of citrus, there are some cases when people have valid reasons not to eat citrus fruits. For example, if the fruit is spoiled or cracked. Its taste is not good, and people are afraid of the imposing threats to human health. Cracked fruit may undergo faster spoilage due to increased exposure to air and moisture, resulting in a loss of nutritional value and flavour. It is not necessarily damaging to human health, but it may pose some risks depending on the circumstances. Cracks can become entry points for bacteria, moulds, and other pathogens, which could be the cause of some illnesses.
However, beyond consumer preferences, fruit cracking is a significant challenge for farmers, reducing fruit marketability and impacting yields. Cracking in citrus crops can cause yield losses of 10% to 35%, typically beginning with slight skin discolouration. The reasons behind fruit cracking and the interaction between the climatic factors, management, and temporal fruit development are still not fully understood. The incidence of fruit cracking is affected by several key factors, including rapid moisture fluctuations, varietal susceptibility and nutrient imbalance. We believe that it is time for a change, so CrackSense project will collect data on fruit cracking and provide solutions for such phenomenon, focusing mainly on citruses, cherries, pomegranates and table grapes.
Conclusion
Journey through the origins, history, and components of citrus fruits highlighted their significance in human health. The sweetness of oranges, the bitterness of grapefruits, and the refreshing taste of lemons have made people consume citrus fruits since ancient times. As we have seen, there are multiple ways to add citrus to your meals, so you have no excuse to avoid fruits beneficial for your health!
References
Álvarez Arias, B., & Ramón-Laca, L. (2005). Pharmacological properties of citrus and their ancient and medieval uses in the Mediterranean region. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 97(1), 89–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2004.10.019
Langgut, D. (2017). The Citrus Route Revealed: From Southeast Asia into the Mediterranean. HortScience, 52(6), 814–822. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI11023-16
Ramon-Laca, L. The introduction of cultivated citrus to Europe via Northern Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. Econ Bot 57, 502–514 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1663/0013-0001(2003)057[0502:TIOCCT]2.0.CO;2
Zhong, G., Nicolosi, E. (2020). Citrus Origin, Diffusion, and Economic Importance. In: Gentile, A., La Malfa, S., Deng, Z. (eds) The Citrus Genome. Compendium of Plant Genomes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15308-3_2