How to Fight Off a Cold With Oranges

Catching a cold can keep you from feeling your best -- and while the medical community does not have cures for them -- eating oranges can help fight the cold, or help you avoid one altogether. Food high in vitamin C is especially effective at improving resistance to disease and promotes overall good health. Researchers have found that the vitamin C in food provides more protection for cells than vitamin C supplements or vitamin water. Not only are oranges loaded with healthy nutrition, the fruit is also among the easiest to digest, something to consider when fighting off an illness.

Instructions

• 1

  Choose the freshest fruit you can find. Fresh oranges are in season all year, although the harvest season depends on the variety. Fresh oranges should be firm and glossy. Dull or spongy oranges may be old and over time, the vitamin content of oranges declines.

• 2

  Wash the oranges and peel them. Leave some of the white pith on the orange segments since this material contains healthy properties that aid in digestion. Scientists have found that the pectin in orange peels helps fight off harmful bacteria in the intestines and reduces inflammations.

• 3

  Eat the orange slices. One orange has more than 100 percent of the daily requirement for vitamin C, but since this vitamin is water-soluble, what the body does not need it discards through the kidneys. To maintain optimal vitamin C levels throughout the day, eat an orange with every meal -- or as a snack, if you feel like you might be coming down with a cold or sore throat.