Top Health Benefits of Clementine and why eat them

The health benefits of clementine just like other citrus fruits are enormous and worth knowing. Some of the health benefits include improved skin, hair, and wound healing, preventing cancer, and helping relieve stress.

What are clementines?

This is a type of citrus fruit that is hybrid. Meaning the clementine fruit is a fruit resulting from the crossing of two other fruits (the sweet orange and mandarin orange). This is the main reason why the clementine fruit looks similar to an orange in terms of appearance. This fruit was named after a French missionary brother called Marie-Clément Rodier in 1902. 

This fruit is very easy to peel and contains little to no seeds at all. The clementine fruit is very sweet and is commonly referred to as cuties or halos. The largest producer of this fruit in the world is China followed by Spain. The clementine fruit comes with a lot of nutrients and health benefits. 

The health benefits of the clementine fruit

1. Improves the skin, hair and wound healing

The clementine fruit is good for the skin. It contains vitamin C, a nutrient that protects your skin from UV light damage. Vitamin C also aids in skincare by reducing wrinkles and preventing the skin from sagging. Eating clementines will keep your skin looking fresh and youthful.

One portion serving of the clementine fruit (100g) is able to provide about 80mg of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) [1]. This is enough for the recommended daily intake of vitamin C and hence adequate enough for almost everyone.

Normal skin contains high concentrations of vitamin C, which supports important and well-known functions, stimulating collagen synthesis and assisting in antioxidant protection against UV-induced photodamage [2].

The deficiency of vitamin C leads to a disease condition called scurvy which is characterized by skin fragility, bleeding gums, and corkscrew hairs as well as impaired wound healing[2]. Thus, having enough vitamin C will enable you to have fresh skin, decrease tendencies of gum bleeding, and enable faster-wound healing.

2. Aids in digestive health due to the presence of fiber

This fruit aids in digestive health since it contains high amounts of fiber. Fiber is good for relieving and preventing constipation. The clementine fruit also aids in digestive health by making food movements very simple. It stimulates the proper movement of food and waste in the body.

According to the U.S. Department of agriculture’s food central database, every 100g of clementine fruit contains about 1.7g of fiber. Even though this amount of fiber doesn’t equate to the daily requirement of about 25 to 30g, a number of clementine fruits can be consumed together and hence will contribute to a significant amount of the dietary fiber requirements.

Dietary fiber has been found to play key roles in the health of individuals. One important role of dietary fiber is the promotion of good digestive health. Dietary fibers are known to prevent constipation when taken adequately.

Also, it has also been noted that eating an adequate amount of dietary fibers in obese individuals significantly enhances weight loss. Increased fiber intake benefits a number of gastrointestinal disorders including the following: gastroesophageal reflux disease, duodenal ulcer, diverticulitis, constipation, and hemorrhoids [3].

3. Good for the heart and reduces blood pressure

For 100g of clementine fruit, there is about 177mg of potassium. This contributes to your daily requirement of potassium which is about 4000mg per day[4].

Potassium is a nutrient that keeps the heart healthy by reducing blood pressure which lowers the risk of heart-related problems such as cardiac arrest. It also keeps the heartbeat rhythm steady. Clementine fruits contain potassium and eating them keeps your heart in check.

Potassium is also known to contribute to a decrease in blood pressure. According to a randomized control trial conducted by the American Heart Association, it was found that the potassium found in fruits like clementine is equally effective in reducing blood pressure and is comparable to the effects that are obtained from the synthetic potassium chloride salt.

Potassium is able to reduce blood pressure by attenuating the effects of high-salt diets. It does this by stimulating salt reabsorption along the distal nephron.

4. Prevent cancer

Clementine fruits are good for preventing cancer. They have anti-cancer properties such as vitamin c, quercetin, and limonoids that protect the body from free radicals. Free radicals in the body can result in cancer development when left unchecked. 

Clementine fruits contain a number of important antioxidants needed by the body. These antioxidants play a huge role in preventing cancers. They mostly do this by preventing cellular damages and reducing the extent of inflammation which is usually induced by the presence of free radicals in the body.

Some other antioxidants found in clementine fruits include alpha-tocopherol, hesperidin, narirutin, and beta carotene[5].

Alpha-tocopherol is a potent antioxidant that is fat-soluble and is able to protect cell membrane components from damage. In the presence of vitamin C as is the case of clementine fruits, the antioxidant effects of alpha-tocopherol are greatly potentiated.

Hesperidin is a flavonoid found in most citrus fruits which have also been found to have good antioxidant activity.

The major causes of cancers are the presence of free radicals in the body and these antioxidants are able to mop up the free radicals hence preventing the damages caused by them.

5. Stress reliever

Clementine fruit has a fragrant smell which helps to induce neurotransmitters within the brain which provides stress relief. The smell of the fruit gives the feeling of rejuvenation which makes the mind refreshed and calm.

Also, vitamin C present in clementine fruits has been found to contribute to stress relief. Some researchers found that people who got vitamin C during the course of their studies reported that they felt less stressed as compared to the others.

Some studies also mention that vitamin C works to relieve stress by abolishing the effects of stress hormones like cortisol and catecholamines.

6. Supports vision

The clementine fruit is highly beneficial for people with poor vision. It has high amounts of beta carotene and ascorbic acid which aid in vision health. When taken daily, it reduces the risk of vision loss.

Beta-carotene is a precursor for vitamin A which plays a key role in maintaining good eye health. Clementine fruits contain beta-carotenes which are converted to vitamin A when taken into the body.

This protects the eyes through the absorption of lights from the visible region (400-500nm wavelength) and this enables them to protect the retina and lens from possible photochemical damage induced by light exposure [6].

7. Good for oral health

The vitamin C nutrient contained in the clementine fruit promotes good oral health. It fights germs and monitors the gum for bleeding. It also prevents gingivitis (a gum disease that causes irritation, redness, and swelling of your gingiva, the part of your gum around the base of your teeth). The fruit also contains calcium which keeps the teeth strong and shiny.

8. Improves brain health

Clementine fruits have high amounts of folate (also known as vitamin B9) which helps in boosting brain health both in children and adults. Folate is also one of the first supplements introduced to pregnant women to lower neural tube defects in the fetus.

9. Boosts the immune system

Clementines are highly rich in vitamin C, which is responsible for helping white blood cells function effectively. It also helps heal wounds faster and boosts the immune system’s overall strength, thus, giving your body a better chance to ward of diseases.

10. Packed with nutrients

One of the reasons the clementine fruit has many health benefits is because it is packed with many nutrients. This fruit is a great source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, calcium, etc. 

In addition to this, the fruit contains protein, carbohydrates, potassium amongst others.

Nutritional components of clementine fruit that gives its health benefits

As noted from the above discussion, the clementine fruit has a lot of health benefits, and below are tables stating the important nutrients present in every 100g of Clementine fruits eaten [4].

Essential nutrients and minerals found in clementine fruit

Vitamins in Clementine fruits

Health-related side effects of eating clementine fruit

Clementine fruits are very good-looking and delicious. Even though they look similar to oranges, they do stand on their own. They have many health benefits but they should not be abused. Too much intake of clementine fruits can lead to problems such as allergies such as swelling around the gums, itching. Another side effect of too much intake of clementine fruits is that it can lead to sores around the mouth too.

Due to the many health benefits that the fruit has to offer, it is recommended that we add or take clementines regularly to keep our health. 

Below are some of the reasons why we should eat clementines.

Why you should eat the Clementine fruit

1. They are good for promoting oral health. Clementines contain vitamin C, a nutrient that fights germs and prevents gum bleeding and swelling. Clementines are also good for preventing gingivitis, a disease that causes swelling around the gingiva (base of the gum).

2. They are also good for the skin. Clementines have vitamin C, which protects the skin from wrinkles, skin sagging, sun damage and also from harmful UV light rays.

3. another reason why we should eat clementines is that they improve our immune system. With the help of the nutrients it contains, especially vitamin C, it fights diseases and heals wounds faster.

4. Clementines are a good remedy for preventing constipation. They contain a lot of fibre, which makes it easier for stool to be passed out.

5. They prevent high blood pressure and other heart-related issues. They also keep the heartbeat rhythm steady. All these are made possible due to potassium which is present in vitamin C.