A community health expert, Mrs Karounwi Israel, on Thursday in Lagos, advised Nigerians not to discard orange peels, saying “they have many hidden health and household benefits”.
Israel is also the President of KARIS, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), which is out to empower and teach women many wonders of plants and fruits.
She said that orange peels had many benefits and advised that they should be kept for use and not thrown away.
“Orange itself is a good source of Vitamin C but its peels are also important to human overall health.
“Most of us who take oranges, normally throw away the peels, we are unaware that these peels are loaded with highly nutritious compounds that are beneficial to our health.
“Orange peels contain more than 60 types of flavonoids and 170 different types of nutrients in addition to being rich in various pectins, vitamins, minerals and fibres.
“People dislike orange peel because of its bitter taste but this peel acts as an excellent weight loss aid, as it contains good amount of fibre and is low in calories.
“It adds bulk to the food and thus, helps in lowering the overall caloric intake, thereby aiding weight loss. It also exerts anti-obesity effects by suppressing weight gain.
“Orange peel provides excellent support against respiratory distress and is also found to be effective for treating asthma and prevents digestive complications,’’ she said.
According to her, it contains a high level of histamine; reducing compounds and antioxidants, which helps in relieving various respiratory complications as bronchitis, cold, flu and lung cancer.
“Orange peel is a rich source of non-soluble dietary fibres such as pectins, tannins and hemi-cellulose, which play an active role in reducing vomiting and heartburn.
“The peel contains compounds which are found to exert positive effect on heart health and it serves as natural skin bleach, as the peel extract is a safe natural scrubber for dark area of the skin.
“It can also be used for natural air fragrance; just boil some peels in your pot and while cooking, the scent is all over the place, giving your house a nice smell.
“It is equally useful as insect repellent; just burn it and the scent will get rid of mosquitoes and insects,’’ Israel added. (NAN)
