Company Press ReleaseCan't Stop the Crop! California Orange Crop Makes a Juicy Comeback
SHERMAN OAKS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 20, 2000--Sunkist Growers, one of the world's oldest and largest citrus marketing cooperatives, today announced that this winter is shaping up to be a bountiful orange season in California, which is good news for citrus lovers everywhere. The good weather has yielded a healthier, more plentiful harvest. Last year's freezing temperatures that lasted for several days considerably reduced California's citrus crop. Now, the orange crop is back and better than ever. ``We made a great recovery from last year's freeze,'' said Sunkist grower Jayne Denni. ``The weather has been conducive to growth and the quality of crop worthy of the Sunkist name. This year, consumers can expect a more abundant crop with larger, sweeter oranges.'' The California Agricultural Statistics Service estimates the California navel orange crop this season will nearly double to 80 million 37 1/2 lb. cartons, up from last year's 42 million. The FDA states: ``Because whole foods contain many nutrients and other substances that promote health, the use of supplements cannot substitute for proper food choices.''(1) The best source of vitamin C comes from whole foods, like Sunkist oranges. An orange provides natural sources of folic acid as well as fiber, potassium and many other vitamins and minerals that contribute to overall health. ``One phytochemical in particular, limone -- only found in oranges and other citrus -- is a particularly powerful antioxidant that protects your heart,'' said Dr. Liz Applegate, nutritionist and faculty member at University of California, Davis. ``This helps explain why people who regularly eat a diet rich in oranges and other citrus fruits have a lower risk for heart disease.'' Since Sunkist oranges are a whole food as opposed to a manufactured supplement, they provide many other benefits that cannot be bottled in a jar of vitamins, including:
Oranges provide vitamin C, which is not produced in the body and is essential for the formation of connective tissue, absorption of iron and wound healing. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that as much as 70 percent of all cancer deaths in the United States are related to diet. For optimal health, the NCI recommends at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), ``Diets with 200 milligrams or more of vitamin C from fruits and vegetables are associated with lower cancer risk.''(2) This is based on recent studies, which show that flavonoids and antioxidant vitamins may protect against stroke. For optimum health, eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Besides making great snacks, oranges liven up and add extra color to green salads and sweeten blender drinks. Now what fruit could be more a-``peeling?'' Sunkist Growers is one of the world's oldest and largest citrus marketing cooperatives, owned by more than 6,500 citrus growers in California and Arizona, most of whom are small family farmers.
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