Mankind has appreciated and consumed citrus fruits from prehistoric times. Citrus fruits are an inevitable ingredient of a breakfast, drink, with a mouth watering acid sweet taste, a refreshing flavour, a soothing drink in fever and illness. Citrus juice has abundant quantities of vitamin 'C'. Oranges are also a good source of beta-carotene or vitamin 'A'. Citrus fruits also have fair amounts of most mineral nutrients like calcium and potassium. It is for this reason that citrus is important in diets of invalids and convalescents.

The important sugars in citrus fruits are sucrose, glucose and fructose occurring in a ratio of 2:1:1. The acidity in these fruits is mainly due to citric acid. In the sweet varieties, acidity comes down upon ripening and at the same time fruit sugars increase. Most citrus fruits have a trace of bitterness in them.

NUTRIENTS IN CITRUS FRUITS