Citrus zest

Healing essence of citrus

Anti-cancer
Antioxidant
Anti-inflammatory
Cardioprotective
Citrus species

Zesty citrus peels
As well as being eaten as fruits and juices, citrus peels, which contain the greatest concentration of their valuable phytonutrients, are frequently used as “ citrus zest”, seasonings that add flavour to a variety of preserves, and sweet and savoury dishes.

Until recently, the perceived medicinal properties of citrus have been associated primarily with vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which occurs in high concentrations in all of the citrus species.

Oranges are considered the “gold standard” in terms of food vitamin C content and the use of limes by the British navy to prevent its sailors developing the vitamin C-deficiency disease, scurvy, is one of the most well-known historical uses of food in a medicinal context.

Not only vitamin C
However, as we learn more about plants and the chemicals they contain, it is becoming clear that many other phytonutrients found in citrus zest contribute towards the extensive health benefits that are often still attributed to vitamin C.

Medicinal properties

Cancer

The fibre in citrus, called pectin, has also been studied and found to reduce the progression of advanced prostate cancer. Pectin can also lower the risk of a recurrence of mouth and throat cancers.

Citrus zest prevents cancer through the mechanisms outlined below.
Antioxidants: Antioxidants are also powerful antimutagens, protecting our DNA from cancer-causing damage, and citrus fruits contain high concentrations of flavonoid antioxidants as well as a number of other potent antioxidant compounds. Lycopene, in particular, which is has been shown to protect against prostate and other cancers, is found in large quantities in citrus fruits.
DNA repair: The antioxidant naringenin not only helps prevent DNA damage, but also enhances DNA repair thereby reducing the chances of cancer development.
Cancer cell death: The phytochemical, nobilitin destroys cancer cells in two ways. It acts as a cytotoxin, killing cancer cells directly, and it can also work indirectly, inducing apoptosis and interfering with the cell cycles involved in certain types of liver cancer. It has also been shown to be effective in preventing the onset of cancers of the colon, breast and some leukaemias. It also exhibits synergism with certain anticancer drugs and reduces the resistance that cancer cells develop to these conventional treatments.
Inhibition of tumour growth: Coumarins exhibit antitumour properties as does tangeretin, which can inhibit the proliferation of tumours by interfering with the signalling mechanism between the tumour cells.
Toxin inhibition: The phytochemicals naringenin and quercetin protect us against NNK which is one of the most potent inducers of lung cancer. NNK is a strong tobacco-related environmental carcinogen to which both smokers and non-smokers are exposed. These two compounds work by inhibiting the activity of liver enzymes that convert NNK it into a carcinogenic metabolite.

Cardiovascular disease and blood lipids

Citrus flavonoids are powerful antioxidants – even more so than vitamin E – and when taken in their natural form their effects are enhanced by the presence high levels of vitamin C found in citrus.

In this way citrus also helps to reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol which is associated with the development of atherosclerosis.

Antimicrobial properties

This suggests that when regularly ingested, these seeds can help our bodies ward off infections, even in their earliest stages

Spice supplement

Important phytonutrients

Antioxidants: Ascorbic acid, genistic acid, lycopene, naringenin, neohesperidin, rutin, tangeretin

Others: Auraptine, hesperetin, limonin, lutein, nobiletin, pectin, quercetin, zeaxanthin