Tangerine, Citrus tangerina, is a citrus fruit from the mandarin variety. It is one of the fruits in season around late September to October in Nigeria.
While oranges are more popular, tangerines are said to be sweeter and stronger in flavor. Tangerine, like other citrus fruits is known for its Vitamin C Content.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant; it prevents damage caused by free radicals which can damage your DNA. Vitamin C helps in the healing of wounds, repairing and maintenance of the body; and keeping you younger. It also helps to boost your immunity and it is associated with disease prevention.
Tangerines are also a good source of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is micronutrient associated with immunity, eye health and general growth and development. Remember also that Vitamin A deficiency is one of the threatening micronutrient deficiencies we have in Nigeria and it would be good to ensure that our children and ourselves are getting enough of it from our foods as much as possible.
Nutrition
Here is a breakdown of the Nutritional contents of 1 medium sized Tangerine  (150g) in Nigeria:
– 79kcals of energy
– 20.0g of carbohydrates of which 15.81g is sugars
– 2.7g of Dietary fibre
– 40.05mg of Vitamin C
(you need about 75 – 90mg a day depending on if you are male or female)
– 232µg of Vitamin A (Equivalent)
(you need about 600 – 900µg a day depending on your gender)
– 0.08mg of Vitamin B1
(you need about 0.9mg – 1.1mg a day depending on your gender)
– 0.05mg of Vitamin B2
(you need about 0.9 – 1.1mg a day depending on your gender)
– 24µg of Folate (Vitamin B9)
(you need about 300 -400µg a day depending on your gender)
Other micronutrients found in little quantities include calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Vitamin B5, and Vitamin B6.
So, if you eat about two tangerines a day, you can meet your Vitamin C requirement for the day. For other micronutrients, you would need to eat other foods, fruits and vegetables to meet up what you need for them.
In a Nutshell
Fruits are very important in our everyday diet. The micronutrients they provide help to maintain our bodies and may keep diseases away.
Tangerine is an easy fruit to consume and it can be peeled easily by hand. It can also be used as part of salads.
2 Tangerines a day contain enough Vitamin C to meet your body requirement for that day and a huge part of the beta-carotene (Vitamin A) that your body requires that day too. So, while you go about your hustle, do not forget to add this little ball of antioxidants to your daily grub.
As always, remember to eat better and live better.
