Citrus’ History:
Citrus fruit can be traced back to the Miocene era in subtropical and tropical regions of Asia and spread around the continent from there. By 310 B.C. the first citrus fruit is recorded to have made it into Europe. By 330 B.C. it seems that Europe knew of three types of citruses, the lemon, lime, and orange. In contrast, China had 27 types of mandarin oranges much earlier than that, and are credited with the cultivation of several varieties of citrus.
From Europe, citrus made it to North and South America, and shortly after would soon be grown all over the world. In Biblical times citrus was used for religious ceremonies, intestinal ailments, to cure seasickness, and as an antibiotic. Fast-forward to the medieval times, and you can find mention of bitter orange, sweet orange, lemon and lime. Oftentimes though, citrus was only consumed by the working class, as nobility looked down upon eating ‘raw’ foods. For nobility this led to scurvy, rickets, and skin diseases. Little did they know that it was due to lack of citrus.
The citrus of old is not quite what we think of today, and was much more bitter with far less juice and pulp. Often these bitter citrons had to be candied or cooked before being palatable. Around the same time as citrus was gaining popularity in recipes, so was vinegar. These more tart and bitter flavors were changing how people wanted their food to taste. As citrus became more readily available and less bitter it was adopted into many cuisines and recipes we still see today.
How It Grows:
Nowadays, citrus fruit can be defined as fruit that grows on flowering trees and shrubs with a leathery rind and white pith surrounding segmented sections. Growing citrus takes some patience, as the tree will generally require seven years from seed to bearing fruit. Citrus grows best in subtropical and tropical regions are considered to be in season from December to early April.
Some examples of citrus include:
- Sweet oranges: Valencia, navel, blood orange, Cara Cara
- Mandarins: Satsuma, clementine, tangor, tangelo
- Limes: Persian, key lime, kaffir
- Grapefruit: White, ruby red, Oro Blanco
- Lemons: Eureka, Meyer
- Other kinds: Sudachi, yuzu, pomelos
There are so many more, but these are some of the most popular varieties.
Health Benefits:
Citrus has many health benefits, besides preventing scurvy, providing vitamin C, or boosting immunity. For starters, they contain vitamin B, potassium, magnesium, copper, and phosphorus. These fruits also contain more than 60 varieties of flavonoids, phytocompounds, polyphenols, and essential oils that provide extraordinary antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, citrus can help prevent kidney stones. These painful stones are commonly caused by low levels of citrate in urine. By consuming citrus and raising your level of citron you lower your risk of kidney stones.
Citrus has also been found to help with heart health. A Japanese study found that consuming citrus regularly was associated with lower risk of stroke and heart disease. Another study done in 2017 showed that grapefruit had the ability to help lower systolic blood pressure. The soluble fiber citrus contains also helps improve cholesterol by lowering LDL and raising HDL. They also lend a hand in protecting brain health and have been found to help prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. Particular flavonoids that citrus contains, quercetin, hesperidin and apigenin, are responsible for protecting and improving brain cells, and may even boost brain function. Lastly, citrus may even help prevent cancer. The flavonoids it contains act as antioxidants and may block particular gene expression that is associated with particular cancers.
Citrus & SCD:
Citrus can be introduced in stage 3 of the SCD diet in a cooked format. This includes lemon, lime, and orange. In stage 4 these fruits can be consumed raw and include their juices. Elaine does note in her book Breaking the Vicious Cycle that orange juice in particular should only be consumed in the morning when all diarrhea has subsided. However, it is tolerated well later in the day if still experiencing symptoms. It is important to note that any citrus juices bought should not contain any added vitamins, colors, or fillers, and should NOT be from concentrate.
You may be wondering if another citrus is allowed. Well, the good news is that the answer is yes! All citrus fruit is allowed depending on what stage you are in and can be eaten whole, juiced, cooked with, or raw. The one side note that I do want to make is that grapefruit can interact with certain medications including cyclosporine, a common IBD drug. Be sure to check with your physician or pharmacist to ensure grapefruit is safe.
Citrus is a superfood chalked full of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that are essential for overall health. From cancer prevention to boosting immunity this class of fruit is truly remarkable. Citrus is easy to incorporate into SCD and adds not only nutritional value but brightens up any dish and adds a tart and sweet quality that can’t be beat! Looking for SCD recipes that have citrus? Try these: Lemon cranberry pound cake, Blood orange citrus salad with green goddess dressing, Easy one pan lemon chicken piccata, SCD lemon bars, SCD ginger ale, Easy blueberry lemon mug cake, Colorful beet salad, Orange, honey & ginger glazed salmon, and Cashew basil pesto.
Want to check out my sources? Click HERE, HERE & HERE.
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