Tangelo is one of the most unusual fruit you’ll ever see. This exotic fruit is a hybrid of a mandarin orange variety with pomelo or grapefruit (1).
Its taste is similar to all citrus fruits with a slightly sweeter and more vigorous aroma. The most popular types of tangelo are Orlando, Minneola, and Jamaican tangelo.
Jamaican tangelo, also known as ugli fruit, is originated from Jamaica. Of course, only the outside can sometimes look ugly, but the taste is a real refreshment. You’ll feel the aftertaste since it’s a descendant of grapefruit.
Tangelo represents a truly successful hybrid between the citrus mentioned above. Interestingly, this fruit has few to no seeds. It has a pronounced scent and is easy to peel.
Tangelo and tangerine aren’t the same fruit, although people sometimes mix them. Of course, since they belong to the citrus genus, their properties are very similar. The healing properties of tangelo are numerous.
Nutrition Facts
Tangelo consists mostly of water. In 100 grams of tangelo, we can find 86.75 % of water. Because of its sweetness, tangelo contains a surprising number of calories.
It doesn’t contain too many carbs. Therefore you can use it if you are on a keto diet.
100 grams of tangelo provides the following nutrients (2):
- Water: 86.75 grams
- Calories: 47 kcal
- Protein: 0.94 grams
- Fat: 0.12 grams
- Carbohydrate: 11.75 grams
- Dietary Fiber: 2.4 grams
- Sugars: 9.35 grams
- Calcium: 40 mg
- Potassium: 181 mg
- Vitamine C: 53.2 mg
- Beta Carotene: 71 µg
Health Benefits Of Tangelo
Not surprisingly, tangelo is excellent for our health. Regular use will give you more energy and strengthen your body.
1. Rich source of vitamin C
As you can imagine, the main characteristic of tangelo is the richness of vitamin C. All its relatives such as oranges, lemon, and mosambi are real treasures of this vitamin.
Hence, tangelo is not an exception. Vitamin C is essential if we want to boost our immunity to protect ourselves from various diseases.
2. Great for the heart and blood vessels
Heart diseases are one of the biggest causes of death, especially in western countries, due to the specific way of life.
Tangelo is an excellent source for your heart health. All citrus fruits, including tangelo, are rich in many antioxidants, such as flavanones and flavonoids (3).
The intake of flavanones is associated with a reduced risk of heart attacks and related heart diseases (4).
Also, research says the flavonoids in citrus fruits are beneficial for treating several diseases, such as high blood cholesterol, insulin resistance, and obesity (5).
3. Helps protect the liver
Tangelo contains a type of flavonoid called naringenin, which possesses antioxidant and liver-protective properties (6).
In one study, naringenin in tangelo managed to alleviate liver injury on animals by protecting the cells from free radicals (7).
4. Useful in the fight against cancer
Health from nature is a crucial method to fight cancer. Tangelo is one of the citrus fruits that helps against the formation of cancer cells.
The flavonoids in tangelo possess anticancer, anti-inflammatory properties, which is beneficial in the fight against cancer (8, 9).
5. Helps manage diabetes
Tangelo seems to be an excellent solution for people with type 2 diabetes as well. It has a reasonable amount of dietary fiber.
It’s also a rich source of phenolic compounds, such as polyphenols (10). Polyphenols are a vital ingredient in the treatment of diabetes. And, research says they may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (11).
How to use it in the kitchen
You can use tangelo in a variety of fruit salads. They will get a totally different exotic flavor.
Tangelo juice is also a great choice on hot summer days. If you like unusual desserts, add it to cakes or cookies. Lately, the popularity of this fruit has been growing rapidly.
Conclusion
Tangelo is a refreshing fruit that will bring you countless health benefits. It’s easy to include it in the diet. Therefore, don’t wait and improve your health!