An orange a day boosts immune system, overall health

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: In the Holy Quran Allah says ,”I have not inflicted any disease on the mankind that has no  cure.”That can be rightly inferred as: in the seasonal fruits and vegetables lies the hidden treasure of essential vitamins and minerals that can be utilized for prevention and cure  of deadly diseases as well as improvement of overall health.

One such fruit is orange that being abundant these days is irresistible. .It merits a mention  here that Pakistan is reportedly the sixth largest producer of oranges in the world and hence  the oranges are in access to the common man, becoming the fruit of community and not  that of nobility.

A medical practitioner Dr. Shazia Durrani said that it was better to take vitamins and minerals  in a natural way through fruits and vegetables than taking their supplements.  When asked about the nutritional benefits of the oranges she said oranges were very good  for health as these have essential vitamins and minerals and one of them is Vitamin C.

Vitamin C , she said was not only good for immune system but also for circulatory system, maintenance of healthy energy system, for skin and eye diseases as well as for brain  function.

Elaborating, she said, “Vitamin C keeps a guard against fatal diseases like osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes,multiple sclerosis and many common cancers.”

About the recommended dose of vitamin C, she said taking a tablet of 1000 mg of vitamin  C daily can help boost your immune system.

When her advice was sought about taking orange juice daily,she said,”If you drink more than  one glass of orange juice a day,you will be still nowhere near the amount of vitamin C that  will cause problems with your body; but, as with any other nutrient, it is always a good idea  to talk to your doctor before taking massive amounts of any sort of nutrient or supplement.”

Researches have shown that just one orange has about 100 mg of vitamin C which is  130 percent of the daily recommended intake.

It can be recalled that not very long ago people used to eat oranges while sitting in the  sun, being ignorant of benefits of their practice.

About the practice, medical science says, as sunshine is the best source of Vitamin D  and this vitamin along with Vitamin C assists in absorbing calcium from the intestines  for onward transmission to the body thus making it healthy and preventing it from  ailments.

Dr. Shazia advised ,” We should go out in the sun for about 15 minutes a day , at least  three times a week in winters.