Healthsomeness Written Logo

Tangerines

This article is part of a larger article titled "100+ Healthiest Foods On Planet Earth."  Read it here.

Tangerines Nutritional Information (per 100g)

Water: 85.2 g
Calories: 53 kcal
Protein: 0.8 g
Carbohydrate: 13.3 g
Dietary fiber: 1.8 g
Sugars: 10.6 g
Fat: 0.3 g
Monounsaturated fat: 0.1 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.1 g
Vitamin C: 26.7 mg
Vitamin B1: 0.1 mg
Vitamin B3: 0.4 mg
Vitamin B6: 0.1 mg
Vitamin B9: 16 μg
Vitamin A: 34 μg
Vitamin E: 0.2 mg
Calcium: 37 mg
Iron: 0.2 mg
Magnesium: 12 mg
Phosphorus: 20 mg
Potassium: 166 mg
Sodium: 2 mg
Zinc: 0.1 mg

Tangerines are part of the citrus family and are specifically related to fruits like satsumas and clementines, they are also rich in a flavonoid called nobiletin which is thought to have a number of scientifically proven health benefits.

Helps Prevent Blood Clots And Fat Build Up. Atherosclerosis occurs when the arteries become clogged up with fatty substances known as plaque. This leads to hardening and narrowing of the arteries, which in turn can cause blood clots to form and result in cardiovascular problems, stroke and restricted blood flow.

In 2005, a study was published that looked at how different flavonoids from citrus fruits impacted the ability of plaque to form in the arteries; the scientists also looked at the effects on LDL, or “bad”, cholesterol concentrations in the blood.

The findings showed that nobiletin significantly affected the ability of plaque to form on the walls of the arteries, thus preventing blood clots from forming. It was also found that nobiletin was able to reduce the concentrations of cholesterol in the blood.

Reduce Risk Of Premature Birth

Premature births are often the result of infections which activate inflammation, which then results in a cascade of issues that ultimately lead to premature contractions and then birth. It has recently been discovered that nobiletin may have a significant impact on the overall health of mothers during pregnancy, as well as helping to reduce the risk of complications during birth, largely thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Help Repair Damage Caused By Some Anti-Cancer Drugs. In this study, scientists examined how nobiletin would affect the damage caused to the kidneys of rats that had been injected with the anti-cancer drug cisplatin. They found that nobiletin had a positive effect and helped to prevent damage to the kidney cells; it is thought that this is because nobiletin possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic effects. Research on human subjects needs to be done to further investigate this, but the initial findings are promising.

Could Help Fight Ovarian Cancer. The purpose of a recent study was to determine the effect, if any, of nobiletin on the growth of ovarian cancer cells; this is an important field because ovarian cancer is still very difficult to manage and prevention is almost impossible. The team conducting the research discovered, however, that nobiletin may well have anti-angiogenic properties – this means that it can prevent the flow of blood and oxygen to cancer cells, in turn killing them off – and further research needs to be done to thoroughly investigate this.

Help Fight Obesity And Improve Insulin Resistance. A study of obese mice examined how treatment with nobiletin would affect their weight, insulin resistance and any related issues. Some of the mice received no nobiletin, whilst the others were divided into groups that received either 10mg/kg or 100mg/kg.

Results showed that the mice that received nobiletin not only lost weight, but they experienced a reduction in triglycerides and glucose in the blood; in fact glucose tolerance was greatly improved. The conclusion drawn is that nobiletin has a positive effect when it comes to fighting obesity and improving insulin resistance.