What are the benefits of Clementine?

A clementine is a tiny citrus fruit whose exterior is deep orange in color and has a smooth and glossy appearance. Clementines can easily be separated into seven to fourteen segments that are juicy in nature. The segments are like a tangerine, easy to peel, but are mostly seedless. The fruit is therefore called as seedless tangerines. Closely packed into their characteristic mini fruit crates, clementines are quite popular during winters and are known as Christmas oranges. The fruit is easy to peel and segments are readily separable, they can be added to fruit as well as green salads. Apart from being very tasty, the fruit has numerous benefits for human health. Some of these benefits include: Clementines provide the body with antioxidants like, limonene linalool, α-pinene, α-terpineol, β-pinene and myrcene. These antioxidants protect the body from the negative effects of free radicals that are produced as a result of numerous metabolic reactions. Free radicals if left untreated can cause serious and fatal diseases like cancer.

Citrus fruits, including clementines, contain compounds called flavonoids that reduce your chances of developing certain health problems. A 2012 article published in "Stroke," a journal from the American Heart Association, reports that the flavonoids in citrus fruits might reduce the risk of stroke. The same flavonoids can reduce your risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer as well. A 2009 article published in "Pancreas" notes that eating citrus fruits can lower your chance of developing pancreatic cancer. The compounds in citrus fruits can block cancerous tumors from growing as well, according to a 2000 article published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

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- Free Radical Damage Prevention:
Being a source of numerous potent antioxidants like limonene linalool, α-pinene, α-terpineol, β-pinene and myrcene, clementine protects the human body against free radical damage. Produced during metabolic reactions, these free radicals may result in severe ailments like cancers if left untreated.
- Rich in Vitamin C:
Like its other family members, the clementine also happens to be rich in vitamin C, a vitamin that should be taken externally as the human body can’t produce it inside. Regular consumption of clementine fills your body with vitamin C, thus keeping various diseases such as high blood pressure and hardening of arteries etc. at bay. Additionally, vitamin C is also known to play a role in boosting the human immune system and fighting cardiovascular disorders.

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The clementine was not a very popular fruit in the United States until the late 1990s when the California clementine had a boost in popularity after the cold 1997 winter destroyed much of the Florida orange crop.

They are usually available in stores from November to January.

Clementines are normally seedless. However, bees sometimes cross-pollinate them with other fruit and the resulting clementines end up having some seeds.


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