HEALTH : citrus

one thing i love about this time of year is all the lovely citrus fruits you get in northern europe. don't know why but it's tradition to eat citrus around christmas in sweden. i ain't complaining - i'm munching on a blood orange as we speak !also what better way to start the new year than by boosting your immune system with tons of antioxidants - all packaged in yummy, cute little fruits.some health benefits with citrus fruits:- smack packed with nutrients, such as vitamin C, flavonoids, fibre, and a variety of mineral and phytonutrients. all while being free of LDL (bad cholesterol), fat and sodium.- anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory.- have shown to be protective against cancer and heart disease.- helpful in maintaining a healthy weight- although citrus fruits are acidic in nature, the ash (residue when digested) is alkaline. alkaline ash will help keep the blood from becoming acidic. to balance the pH when too acidic, the body will use its reservoir of alkaline phosphorus: the bones. with the phosphorus, calcium is also released from the bones, which can make the them fragile and - in worst case - cause osteoporosis. regarding food from animal origin, such as dairy, the ash is acidic. this is one of the reasons why it's thought that populations that consume high levels of milk often have a higher occurrence of osteoporosis.- have shown to be protective against radioactivity, free radicals, muscle soreness, and diabetes.- improves iron absorption.the only BAD thing i can think of with citrus fruits is the acidity's effect on the teeth. luckily it's easy to prevent any harm being done to your enamel !- don't brush your teeth within a half hour of eating citrus fruits- drink water after eating (or drinking) citrus. tap water (especially if it's "hard water") has a buffering capacity, which can neutralise the acidity.ok i hope you're not too bored by all this. there's of course a lot more you could say about the health benefits of citrus fruits. let me know below if you have any questions or other beneficial quality of citrus you want to share :3the fruits used for this citrus-arugula-chili salad is oranges, pink grapefruit, lime, lemon and tangerines.btw, which is your favourite citrus fruit ?happy sundaylove // jenny