All the benefits of citrus fruits

The weekly supplement of Repubblica, Salute, devotes this mid-autumn week's page on nutrition and well-being to the benefits brought to the body by a proper intake of citrus fruits.

While their usefulness in countering cold-related ailments is well known, the properties that make citrus fruits effective in fighting insomnia are much less widely known. But the characteristics of citrus fruits would make these fruits useful even in dealing with stomatitis and gingivitis, and even in the dermatological field for combating capillary fragility.

Going even further, mention is made of several studies that would attest to the effectiveness of citrus fruits in even more demanding areas, such as that of cardiovascular and even degenerative diseases. This refers to a study conducted in Germany at the University of Ulm (here the link to the study's abstract), according to which the vitamin C and beta-carotene present in oranges "could prove to be an aid against dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease." A study conducted by the University of East Anglia would then prove that "regular consumption of citrus fruits, rich in vitamin C and flavonoids, leads to a reduced risk of stroke in women."

There would also be a further study, conducted by the Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro (here the link to the study's full results), whose results would highlight how the citrus fruit most widespread in that area — bergamot — "would be capable of reducing the levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and instead increasing those of "good" HDL cholesterol."

Last but not least, the beneficial properties of lemon in particular would find use in combating kidney stones — "if accompanied by a specific diet," it is immediately clarified — since the citrate content of lemon (42.9g/kg) would mean that a simple juice made from 3 or 4 fruits has the same result as a potassium citrate-based drug.