1. Description

1.1 What is an orange?

The mandarin orange (botanical name: Citrus reticulata, also known as mandarin or mandarine, Chinese Pinyin: Ju Zi, Simplified Chinese: 橘子), is a species of small, fruit bearing citrus tree in genus Citrus in the rue family, Rutaceae. The flowers are small white ones with five petals. The edible fruit is easily-peeled bite-sized orange with reddish-orange skin. The plant can grow up to 4 m tall. Native to Vietnam, south China, and Japan and extensively cultivated in Asia, Europe and Latin America, habitats of mandarin orange include mountainous regions, fields, village margins, stream banks and hill lands.

Characteristics of mandarin orange include tolerance for shade and adaptation to sandy land.

1.2 How does orange taste?

The mandarin orange has a meaty and succulent texture with a flavor that is less sour, sweeter, vibrant and tangy.

1.3 How is mandarin orange used in traditional Chinese medicine?

The leaves, fruits, seeds and peel of orange are considered to have bitter, pungent, warm and nontoxic properties and to be associated with the lung and stomach meridians. It is used as muscles and joints relaxant, lung tonic, antitussive, expectorant, antihypertensive and antidipticum in traditional Chinese medicine (CTM) and widely adopted in treating different diseases and health problems, such as high blood pressure and coughing.

1.4 How do I tell if my mandarin oranges are ripe?

The earliest ripening mandarin oranges and their hybrids are ready in early winter. Ripe mandarins are firm to slightly soft, heavy for its size, and pebbly-skinned.

1.5 How do they make mandarin oranges in a can?

Canned mandarin segments are peeled to remove the white pith before the canning process (if not, the pithes will add bitterness). Segments are peeled using a chemical process. First, the segments are scalded in hot water to loosen the skin; then they are bathed in a lye solution which digests the albedo and membranes. Secondly, the segments go through several rinses in plain water and canned.

 

2. Uses, Health Benefits of Mandarin Orange & Medical Formulas

2.1 Liver Cancer

Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control. When cancer starts in the liver, it is called liver cancer. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year in the United States, about 22,000 men and 9,000 women get liver cancer, and about 16,000 men and 8,000 women die from the disease. The liver cancer incidence keeps rising for several decades (cdc.gov 2017). Studies show that high Vitamin A is linked with reduced risk of liver cancer, therefore Vitamin A rich fruits like mandarin oranges may help to hold off liver cancer.

2.2 Free Radical Elimination And Anti-Ageing

Free radicals arise normally during metabolism. Our body even purposefully create them to neutralize viruses and bacteria. However, environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides can also spawn free radicals. If antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur (healthchecksystems.com 2016). Free radicals have long been linked with causing the aging process, which is the most serious type of damage free radicals do to our body. Vitamin C which is found abundantly in mandarin oranges can combat free radicals and help to reduce our risk of cell damage, subsequent diseases and even slow the aging process.

2.3 Regulate Blood Pressure

Potassium found in mandarin oranges is a key mineral that our body depends on heavily to function normally. It assists to lower blood pressure by balancing out the negative effects of salt (high sodium consumption raises blood pressure). Our kidneys help to control the blood pressure by controlling the amount of fluid stored in the body.

2.4 Improves Skin Color And Elasticity of The Skin

Vitamins C and E have important roles in our skin’s health. Vitamin C assists to reduce the effects of sun damage, which dries out skin and decreases its elasticity. Vitamin E repairs rough or dry skin, including skin damaged by sunlight. Both vitamins are available in mandarin oranges.

[CTM Formula] Sulfur, saltpeter (Chinese: 硝石), green tangerine peel (Chinese: 青皮), dried tangerine or orange peel (Chinese: 陈皮) and flour can be made into pills for internal taking to treat a painful lump.

2.5 Typhoid Fever

[CTM Formula] A decoction of platycodon root, pinellia ternata, orange peel and fresh ginger is to be used in healing typhoid fever with feeling of fullness in the chest.

2.6 Reducing Inflammation, Swelling And Relieving Pain

[CTM Formula] Sulfur, saltpeter (Chinese: 硝石), green tangerine peel (Chinese: 青皮), dried tangerine or orange peel (Chinese: 陈皮) and wheat flour can be made into pills for internal taking to treat a painful lump.

[CTM Formula] Pills made with perilla frutescens seeds, lesser galangal, orange peel and honey is taken on an empty stomach with wine to treat rheumatoid arthritis with foot pain symptoms.

[CTM Formula] The seeds of mandarin oranges and the bark of eucommia are fried and powdered for oral taking to relieve back pains.

2.7 Dysentery

[CTM Formula] A decoction of fucklandia rhizome, coptis and orange peel is taken orally to treat dysentery.

2.8 Chronic Coughing

[CTM Formula] Pills made with peels of mandarin oranges, fermented dough and fresh ginger are taken orally to treat chronic coughing.

2.9 The Excretory System

[CTM Formula] A mixture of astragalus propinquus, dried tangerine or orange peel, hempseed and raw white honey can be used in treating constipation among the elderly.

3. Contraindication, Side-effects & Cautions

Avoid eating mandarine oranges on an empty stomach.

The Ben Cao Medical Book (also known as Compendium of Materia Medica or Ben Cao Gang Mu; Chinese: 本草纲目) is the most famous and comprehensive medical book ever written in the history of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Compiled and written by Li Shi-zhen (1518~1593), a medical expert of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) over 27 years.

The Ben Cao Medical Book records and describes all the plants, animals, minerals, and other objects that were believed to have medicinal properties in TCM. The book reflects the pharmaceutical achievements and developments of East Asia before the 16th century. On the basis of his predecessors’ achievements in the pharmacological studies, Li contributed further by supplementing and rectifying many past mistakes and misconception in relate to nature of many medicinal substances and causes of various illnesses. Charles Darwin, originator of the biological theory of evolution, regards the book as the “ancient Chinese encyclopedia”.

Disclaimer: The Ben Cao Medical Book is translated by ChinaAbout.net . The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of CTM knowledge and information from the research and experience from the author Li Shi-zhen. Kindly be alert that the CTM knowledge and ancient formulas given above are likely NOT medically proven and may contain misconceptions.

List of reference

cdc.gov 2017 Liver Cancer [online] link: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/liver/index.htm

healthchecksystems.com 2016 Understanding Free Radicals and Antioxidants [online] link: http://www.healthchecksystems.com/antioxid.htm