Health Benefits and Calories in an Orange

65 Calories in an Orange

About 65 calories in an orange, plus fiber and antioxidant vitamin C. And the vitamin C is much healthier than vitamin C from supplements!

How many calories in an orange? About 65. Oranges are also a great source of vitamin C and fiber.

And did you know their natural vitamin C is much healthier than vitamin C supplements?

Some studies have shown that the vitamin C you get from drinking a glass of orange juice provides much more antioxidant protection than the vitamin C you get from supplements or multivitamins. See the details below.

Contents:

Calories in an OrangeAnd Nutrition Facts for 1 Orange
Type of Orange Calories
(kcal)
Weight
(g)
Total Fat
(g)
Total Carbs
(g)
Dietary Fiber
(g)
Sugars
(g)
Protein
(g)
Based on the weight shown for an average orange.
References and Sources
Regular Size Oranges (2 1/2 to 3 inch diameters)
Valencia Orange 59 121 0 14 3 0 1
Navel Orange 69 140 0 18 3 12 1
Florida Orange 65 141 0 16 3 13 1
Large Oranges (over 3 inch diameters)
Large Orange 86 184 0 22 4 17 2
Tangerines(2 1/4 inch diameter)
Small Tangerine 40 76 0 10 1 8 1
Canned Mandarin Oranges (for a 1 cup serving)
regular juice pack 92 249 0 24 2 22 2
juice pack, drained 72 189 0 18 2 16 1
light syrup pack 154 252 0 41 2 39 1
Calories in Orange Juice Drinks(for one 8 oz cup)
Type of Orange Juice Calories
(kcal)
Weight
(g)
Total Fat
(g)
Total Carbs
(g)
Dietary Fiber
(g)
Sugars
(g)
Protein
(g)
References and Sources
fresh orange juice 112 248 0 26 0 21 2
canned (unsweetened) 117 249 0 27 1 22 2
orange juice
from frozen concentrate
112 249 0 27 0 21 2
orange-grapefruit Juice (canned, unsweetened) 106 247 0 25 0 25 1
orange pineapple juice 125 246 0 30 0 26 1
canned orange drink 122 248 0 31 0 27 0
pineapple orange juice
(canned)
125 250 0 30 0 29 3
orange-strawberry-banana juice 117 234 0 29 0 22 1
orange juice drink 134 249 0 33 0 23 0

Orange Health Benefits

The calories in an orange are relatively healthy ones.

In addition to about 3 1/2 grams of fiber, an orange contains about 64 mg of vitamin C. That’s roughly 14 percent of your daily recommended value of fiber and over 116 percent of your recommended daily value of vitamin C!

The major health benefits of oranges come from their vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant. Numerous medical studies have shown that vitamin C helps prevent many diseases. Here a few of the vitamin C and orange health benefits:

  • lower risk of coronary heart disease (42% in men, 25% in women)
  • 29% lower risk of stroke
  • possible lower risk of some cancers
  • decreased risk of cataracts
  • stimulate and boost your immune system

Vitamin C in Oranges is Better than Vitamin Supplements

Many research studies looking at the health benefits of vitamin C have found that it’s much better to get naturally occurring vitamin C from the food you eat (like oranges!), rather than getting it from supplements or multivitamins.

In some studies the benefit from supplements was much less. In other studies, supplements provided no benefit at all!

For example, an Italian study looked into the antioxidant properties of vitamin C by giving test subjects one of three drinks: orange juice with 150 mg of naturally occurring vitamin C, water fortified with 150 mg of vitamin C, or water with sugar and no vitamin C.

The researchers then tested the subjects’ blood and found the vitamin C in orange juice had provided 16 to 18 percent improved antioxidative protection, while the other subjects had zero percent increased protection.

A University of Cambridge study found similar results when looking at the effects of vitamin C on coronary heart disease. The U.K. researchers looked at 15 different studies involving almost 375,000 participants, and they found dietary vitamin C significantly reduced coronary heart disease, but vitamin C supplements did not.

So, it’s much better to get your vitamin C from the foods you eat — like oranges — rather than from supplements!

Whole Oranges Are Better than Orange Juice

Orange juice is good way to get most of the orange health benefits. But you’ll get even more benefit from eating whole oranges.

While orange juice has most of the vitamin C and other antioxidants of oranges, it’s usually strained to remove the pulp so it doesn’t have nearly as much fiber.

And since the juicer does much of the work of breaking down the orange, the sugar in the orange juice is digested more quickly. So your body won’t have to work as hard to get the sugar, and you’ll get more of a sugar spike than if you ate a whole orange.

With all fruits and vegetables, it’s always best to eat them in their whole food form rather than their juiced form. You get more fiber and roughage for your digestive track, and the energy and nutrients are digested more slowing and delivered to your blood stream at a slower, healthier pace.

So if possible, skip the orange juice and eat a whole orange instead.

Reach for an Orange

The antioxidant vitamin C and fiber in an orange make it a great food choice when you want a snack to boost your energy or something sweet to add to your breakfast or your dessert.

Orange juice is a fine choice, but if possible you’re better off reaching for a whole orange. Grab one and enjoy!

Do you like oranges? Do you eat them regularly? What’s your favorite way to eat them? Leave a comment below and let us know.

References & Sources: (show)(hide)

    • Frei, Balz. Drake, Victoria J., Higdon, Jane.
    • “Vitamin C.”
    • Micronutrient Information Center. Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
    • Web. Nov 2009.
    • lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter.
    • Guarnieri S, et al.
    • “Orange juice vs vitamin C: effect on hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage in mononuclear blood cells.”
    • The British Journal of Nutrition.
    • 97.4 (Apr 1997): 639-43.
    • Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    • Department of Food Science and Microbiology. Division of Human Nutrition. University of Milan, Italy.
    • “Oranges.”
    • The George Mateljan Foundation.
    • Web. 21 Jan 2013.
    • www.whfoods.com.
    • United States. Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service. Nutrient Data Laboratory.
    • USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24.
    • Washington: GPO.
    • 30 March 2012.
    • United States. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services.
    • Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010.
    • 7th Edition.
    • Washington: GPO.
    • December 2010.
    • Ye Z, et al.
    • “Antioxidant vitamins intake and the risk of coronary heart disease: meta-analysis of cohort studies.”
    • European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation.
    • 15.1 (Feb 2008): 26-34.
    • London: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
    • Department of Public Health and Primary Care. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

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