Tangerine Peel Tea and More Fabulous Flavonoids!

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 I just tried this tea and it’s delicious!

Peel an organic tangerine, taking care to retain the white pith. Let the peel dry naturally, overnight. Insecticide sprays are widely applied over citrus crops, so organic fruits are best. In fact, anytime you need the peel or zest of a citrus fruit, it’s a good idea to go organic. If you don’t use an organic tangerine, make sure you wash it thoroughly.

In the morning, boil a cup of pure water, tear off a couple of small pieces of the dried tangerine peel, place them in the cup of hot water and steep for 2-3 minutes. I like to sweeten mine with a little raw honey.

You can also make a pot of this tea and then cool it, for a lovely cool citrusy delight after a day out in the hot sun!

Dried tangerine peel will last for at least two months if kept in a dry sealed container and stored in a dark, cool place. The skin inside tangerine peels contains large amounts of hesperidin. Hesperidin is a flavonoid responsible for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. The highest concentrations of other healthy compounds such as tangeretin and nobiletin are also contained in the skin of the peel.

A Canadian study publicized in 2004 showed that tangerine peel has 20 times the antioxidants of the juice, and helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. According to Master Lin of Spring Forest QiQong, the peel of an organic tangerine also helps relieve stress, detoxify the liver, and balance blood sugar. Nice!

In another study, published in the May 2011 “Diabetes,” a journal of the American Diabetes Association, researchers observed that a flavonoid called nobiletin, found in tangerines, significantly reduced the risk of metabolic syndrome, and almost completely prevented obesity in a group of rats eating a Western diet high in fat and sugar. According to the researchers, nobiletin inhibits the genes responsible for producing fat.

Ok, so you’re not a rat; but why not get these healthy compounds into your diet? You might lose some waistline or lower that LDL or blood pressure... Pop a tangerine skin in with your blender smoothie several times a week. Alternately, a powder can be made by drying the pith inside the peel of a tangerine, which can then be added to your smoothie, or even your morning oatmeal. And you get to eat the rest of the tangerine – woo woo, more vitamin C! As the cliché goes, “good, and good for you”!

Best of Health,

Kathi

May 3, 2012 10:46 AM |Add a comment