Winter is a period of lack of vitamins and sunlight. The first problem is easily solved – citrus fruits to the rescue.
Many people love them: they are tasty, sweet, juicy, but most importantly, they are good for your health.
Eat an orange or a tangerine and you get a good dose of vitamins and other valuable substances.
To wash or not to wash
But there's a catch that's keeping some eaters from living in peace: Should you, they ask, wash citrus fruits? Or is it not necessary?
The question has been debated for years. It's like what came first - the chicken or the egg.
Proponents of not washing citrus fruits say that we don’t eat the peel anyway, so why wash it?
But health safety experts have a different point of view.
They state confidently and authoritatively: oranges, tangerines, lemons and grapefruits should always be washed.
Preservatives
The fact is that we know very well about the benefits of these fruits, but we forget about how they are transported and in what conditions they are stored.
Very often, in order to ensure the maximum possible shelf life of citrus fruits and to ensure an attractive appearance, they are treated with chemical preservatives.
Yes, these substances block the growth of fungi and mold, but at the same time they pose a threat to human health.
Especially imazalil is an oily liquid that does not dissolve well in water.
This substance is very dangerous for the endocrine system, and in large doses it becomes carcinogenic.
Thiabendazole can cause irritation of the skin and mucous membranes, as well as cause an allergic reaction.
Orthophenylphenol, which is used to treat not only fruits but also packaging (for disinfection), is fraught with an allergic reaction.
Getting rid of the scourge
All these and some other preservatives easily end up on a person’s hands and also easily penetrate the body.
They also complicate the process of washing citrus fruits, since they form a waterproof film on their surface.
Therefore, experts recommend not just washing the fruit, but using a cleaning solution to remove these substances.
For example, it is recommended to mix one part vinegar with three parts water or dissolve a tablespoon of soda in one liter of warm water.
In one of these solutions, citrus fruits need to be kept for about ten minutes, then thoroughly rinsed under running water.
After this, you need to carefully wipe it with a towel or napkin. And only then, experts say, can you eat oranges and tangerines.
