Eat a basket of tangerines every day, and your body will change like this! (Not just turning yellow)

There is a kind of fruit that is in season now and is also the favorite of many people, that is - sugar orange.

Anyone who has eaten tangerines will have a feeling that once you start eating them, you simply can’t stop, and before you know it, you’ve finished a whole basket.

Why are sugar oranges so addictive? What are the effects of eating too much sugar oranges on the body?

Why are sugar oranges so delicious?

1. High in fructose and glucose

Fruits are sweet because they contain glucose, fructose and sucrose, which have different sweetness levels. Fructose is the sweetest, 1.7 times sweeter than sucrose.

The total sugar content of tangerines is around 10% to 13%[1]. Although this number may not seem high, a large proportion of it is fructose, which tastes sweeter.

The higher the sugar-acid ratio, the sweeter it is. Image source: Reference [3]

Moreover, if you put the sugar oranges in the refrigerator, they will become sweeter.

This is because fructose has two molecular configurations: α and β. The sweetness of α-fructose is three times that of β-fructose. At low temperatures, part of β-fructose is converted into α-fructose, which increases the sweetness.

2. Low in citric acid

When eating sugar oranges, you will also taste some sourness, which is because of the presence of organic acids such as citric acid in sugar oranges. However, compared with other citrus fruits, its organic acid content is relatively low.

Eating too many tangerines

These changes occur in the body...

Sugar oranges have captured people's taste buds, but if you eat too much, the following problems will occur:

1. Become a Minion

After you finish a basket of tangerines, you may be surprised to find that you have turned yellow. This is actually "hypercarotenemia" [5].

Tangerines are rich in carotene[4]. Sufficient amounts of carotene are good for protecting our eyes and can also synthesize a certain amount of vitamin A in our bodies. However, if we take in too much carotene at one time, the body cannot metabolize it in time, and the blood content is too high, which may cause the skin to turn yellow, especially on the palms and soles of the feet.

Image source: Xiaohongshu But you don’t need to worry too much. As long as you stop eating oranges, mangoes, carrots and other orange-yellow fruits and vegetables for a period of time, your skin will return to its natural state.

2. May cause oral problems and inflammation

Excessive intake of fruit acid will irritate the gums and oral mucosa, and may cause problems such as swollen gums and oral ulcers. If the mouth is not cleaned in time, it may be used by bacteria to cause inflammation.

3. Gastrointestinal discomfort

Sometimes you buy tangerines in the market and they are still very cold when you bring them home. Don't eat them right away. Eating cold food will cause the blood vessels in the gastric mucosa to contract, which can easily lead to gastric ulcers, gastritis, etc. You can soak them in warm water before eating.

Sugar tangerines contain more dietary fiber, fruit acid, vitamin C and other ingredients. Eating too much may increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract and cause symptoms such as indigestion, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

How to eat sugar orange

Healthy and delicious

1. These types of people should eat less

Overweight and obese people and diabetics should eat less, and people with high uric acid should eat less. Studies have found that fruits high in fructose increase the risk of gout, so people with high uric acid should control their consumption of tangerines.

2. Recommended intake of tangerines

According to the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", the recommended daily fruit intake for adults is 200 to 350 grams, which is about 10 medium-sized tangerines. If you eat other fruits that day, you should eat even less.

You should know that tangerines are very high in calories. Every 100 grams of tangerines contains about 56 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrates. Eating a bowl of tangerines is equivalent to eating a small bowl of rice.

References

[1]TullochAJ,MurrayS,VaicekonyteR,etal.Neuralresponsestomacronutrients:hedonicandhomeostaticmechanisms[1J].Gastroenterology .2015,48(6):1205-18.[2]SchultzW,DayanP,MontaguePR.ANeuralSubstrateofPredictionandReward[J].Science,1997,275(5306):1593-1599.

[3] Huang Lihua. Analysis of nutritional components of sugar orange [J]. Food Research and Development, 2007, 28(1): 152-154.

[4] Chen Xiyu, Jiao Bining. Detection and difference analysis of carotenoid substances in major wide-skinned citrus varieties in my country [J]. Food and Fermentation Engineering.

[5] Cheng Jingling, Yu Xin. Research progress on carotenemia［J］. Hubei Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2012, 34(6):78.

[6] Ma Tianxing. Clinical observation of 12 cases of carotenemia[J]. Journal of Clinical Rational Drug Use, 2011, 04(13):65.

[7] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016)[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2016-5.

[8]ChoiHK, CurhanGSoftdrinks, fructoseconsumption,andtheriskofgoutinmen,prospectivecohortstudy[J]. BMJ, 2008, 336(7639): 309-312.

Author: Xu Lang, popular science creator

Reviewer: Ruan Guangfeng, Director of Science and Technology Department, Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center