3 Reasons Oranges Are The Best & Healthiest Fruits

Last Updated: February 11, 2025 by Michael Kahn. Published: February 11, 2025.

You need to get more fruit in your diet, though the sheer choice of options can be overwhelming! What fruits should you buy, and which ones aren’t worth looking at? In general, all fruits are beneficial – but some are better than others. If you’re searching for one specific fruit to have as a daily snack, then it should be the humble orange. 

Why? Keeping reading, and you’ll find three incredible reasons:

Packed Full Of Antioxidants

Oranges contain an amazing amount of antioxidants – which is one of the biggest buzzwords in the health industry today. If you aren’t aware, antioxidants work by neutralizing free radicals in your body. “Free radicals” are terrible things that damage cells and cause serious diseases like cancer. 

An orange contains a high concentration of antioxidants (like flavonoids and carotenoids) to help fight against free radicals and reduce inflammation in your body. It also contains pretty decent amounts of calcium D-Glucarate, a unique compound that helps improve the body’s detoxification process and has been linked with cancer research. While a lot of fruits contain antioxidants, oranges are among those with the highest concentration per serving. 

Contain High Amounts Of Vitamin C

Additionally, oranges are known for their vitamin C content. This is one of the most important vitamins in the body, as it contributes to everything from collagen production and skin health to tissue repair and immune system support. In other words, eating oranges will help you have brighter and firmer skin while also reducing your chances of picking up common colds. 

As if that’s not already enough, vitamin C is critical for iron absorption. Oranges aren’t high in iron (you’ll need to get that from red meats or leafy greens), but they do help your body absorb more iron. This can prevent common issues like anemia while also helping you feel less tired every day. If you’re one of those people who always feel tired midway through the day, then it could be down to iron deficiency, and some oranges may help!

Perfectly Portioned For You To Eat

To repeat a previous point, other fruits also contain antioxidants and important vitamins. Despite this, oranges are still the best option to add to your diet. Why? Because they’re so perfectly portioned and ready for you to eat. It takes a longer time for oranges to go off compared to other fruits – you could have a banana that looks ripe one day and is brown the next! 

You also may end up with too many berries or grapes because the portions are too large, and you waste them. With an orange, it’s a simple case of picking one up, slicing the segments, and eating it. The convenience makes them easier to add to your diet, so you’re less likely to waste fruit or forget about it. 
If you’re eating an orange a day, you only need four other portions of fruit & veg to make your full five-a-day. You should get a couple of these with dinner and then maybe one more at lunch. It leaves you with just one other fruit-based snack to complete the five: pick your favorite and reap the health benefits of your five-a-day.