Mandarin oranges are smaller than the average orange, and flat on the top and bottom. You may know mandarin oranges by other names, like tangerines or Halos. The average mandarin orange nutrition features a lot of vitamin C alongside smaller amounts of many other essential vitamins and minerals.
Tip
Citrus fruits like mandarin oranges are extremely rich in vitamin C. These fruits can also help reduce inflammation and the risk of certain diseases, as well as protect your brain and heart.
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Mandarin Orange Nutrition Facts
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that most people consume 2 cups of fruits each day. According to the USDA, one cup (195 grams) of mandarin oranges has 0.6 grams of fat and 1.6 grams of protein. A mandarin orange's calories are low, at just 103 calories. They also have 26 grams of carbohydrates, 3.5 grams of which come from dietary fiber.
Fruits are known to be rich in sugars. In fact, each cup of mandarin orange has 20.6 grams of sugars. However, the sugars found in mandarin orange nutrition are healthy, natural sugars rather than added sugars. It is specifically added sugars that the Food and Drug Administration cautions about consuming.
In addition to these macronutrients, mandarin orange nutrition includes:
- 6 percent of the daily value (DV) for calcium
- 9 percent of the DV for copper
- 7 percent of the DV for potassium
- 6 percent of the DV for magnesium
- 7 percent of the DV for vitamin A
- 9 percent of the DV for vitamin B1 (thiamin)
- 5 percent of the DV for vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- 5 percent of the DV for vitamin B3 (niacin)
- 8 percent of the DV for vitamin B5
- 9 percent of the DV for vitamin B6
- 8 percent of the DV for vitamin B9 (folic acid)
- 58 percent of the DV for vitamin C
According to a December 2015 study in the BMC Chemistry Journal, citrus fruits like mandarin oranges also have a wide variety of beneficial bioactive compounds, including antioxidants like phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids and coumarins.
Mandarin's Benefits for Your Health
Although the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming 2 cups of fruit per day, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is a bit more specific. This institution recommends ingesting one serving of yellow or orange fruits or vegetables and one serving of citrus fruits each day. Mandarin oranges obviously meet both of these criteria, making them a particularly healthy food to incorporate into your diet.
Fruits and vegetables are always referred to as healthy, but the consumption of these foods can affect your well-being in different ways. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that the ingestion of fruits, as well as vegetables, can help reduce your risk of various chronic diseases. Their consumption may also help prevent certain types of cancers.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health also states that diets rich in fruits and vegetables can help reduce your blood pressure levels and risk of heart disease and stroke. You may also have a lower risk of ocular and digestive problems and improve your metabolism.
As citrus fruits, mandarin's benefits include anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. The study in the BMC Chemistry Journal states that citrus fruits have cardioprotective and neuroprotective properties, as well. Most of these properties are thanks to their beneficial bioactive compounds. This includes certain nutrients, like vitamin C, which have antioxidant properties.