Mandarin Oranges Contain Natural Decongestants
November 20, 2008 by ruth
Filed under Food & Nutrition
I’ve always thought that citrus fruits are good for fighting colds because of their vitamin C content which supposedly helps boost the immune system and helps fight bugs. What I just read is that they also contain a compound called synephrine, that can help you cope with stuffy nose due to allergies and colds.
The USDA tested mandarins from 10 different micro-climates in Placer County and what they found inside these little fruits, compared to other citrus, 6 to 7 times the amount of synephrine, a naturally occurring decongestant.
Photo Credit: sonictk via Flickr
Not only that but the vitamin C in them is also good for weight loss.
I’m off to the store to buy some of these delicious little treats.
If their testing was correct, then the mandarin orange might go with a weight loss program because of the Synephrine. Synephrine is a stimulant, similar to caffeine and ephedrine, and through studies thought to have similar effects in terms of providing an energy boost, suppressing appetite and increasing metabolic rate leading to the burning or more calories. (As a sidenote, due to a recent bill passed in California, supplements containing Synephrine are now banned for all high school athletes in the state of California. Does this mean California athletes shouldn’t eat mandarin organges?)