Eating oranges or other citrus, like lemons, mandarins, limes or grapefruit, reduces one’s risk of developing cancer by 15-20%. This goes for all types of cancer. The effect is even more dramatic (a 37% reduction in risk) for pancreatic and prostate cancer.
The Japanese Ohsaki Cohort Study, followed 42,470 adults aged 40 to 70 years over a period of nine years. There was a reduced risk of cancer noted in participants who consumed citrus on a daily basis. Those who ate citrus and also drank green tea experienced even more risk reduction.
Green tea is known for its cancer-fighting properties due to the high amount of antioxidants it contains.
Lead study author Wen-Qing Li writes: "These findings suggest that citrus consumption is associated with reduced all-cancer incidence, especially for subjects having simultaneously high green tea consumption. Further work on the specific citrus constituents is warranted and clinical trials are ultimately necessary to confirm the protective effect."