All parts of an orange, including the seeds, are rich in vitamin C.
Vitamins, nutrients and oil extracted from orange seeds are used in food flavorings, health supplements and beauty products. Alternative medicine practitioners often use plant extracts in their treatment of diseases, such as arthritis, cancer and heart disease. Through many generations, natural-products manufacturers have gained extensive knowledge on the capabilities and safety of plant extracts, including orange seed extract.
Uses
Essential oils extracted from Navel, Valencia and Blood Orange seeds provide flavorings for water, cake frosting and other food items. When added to bath and body products, orange seed oil provides a pleasing citrus aroma. Orange seed oil added to cleaning products provides a fresh scent as well as cleaning and de-greasing abilities.
Orange seed oil also is a great conditioning agent when used in hair care products. Orange seeds along with dried pulp can be ground into a powder for use in cosmetics and skin conditioning products as well. And since orange seeds provide a high-protein residue suitable for human and animal consumption, they're often used in cattle feed and fertilizer mixtures.
Botanical Properties
Botanical properties found in oranges and other natural foods are essential for product formulators to create natural and safe products. Herbs, roots, flowers, fruits and seeds of plants have been used in the manufacture of medicinal and cosmetic products for hundreds of years.
Medicinal Properties
All parts of an orange, including the seeds and leaves, are rich in vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant. Compounds found in orange peels helps lower cholesterol naturally. Fiber in oranges helps prevent atherosclerosis and protects against rheumatoid arthritis. Eating oranges may prevent ulcers and reduce the risk of stomach and colon cancers. Limonoids, which are phytochemicals found in citrus fruits and other plants, help protect the body from mouth, skin, lung and breast cancers as well.
Health Properties
Orange seed oil contains palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids. Palmitic acid facilitates long-term storage of energy in human cells. Oleic acid must be present in cells in adequate amounts to produce other important fatty acids and fatty acid derivatives, which lower the risk of heart disease. Linoleic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid that's found in plants, is highly concentrated in the brain and may be important for cognitive and behavioral health along with normal growth and development in humans.
Tags: along with, extracted from,