It is often said that the skin of many vegetables is one of the most nutrient rich parts of the vegetable itself. Potato peelings for example, which many people simply discard, are loaded with fiber, vitamin C, and a boatload of minerals, including calcium, iron, potassium and sodium; so it shouldn’t come as any surprise that the skins of certain fruits can also be put to good use; fruits such as oranges and bananas, for example.
Orange skins
The thing you need to remember if you are considering recycling or using Orange peelings, or the skins of any other fruits, is that they are often treated with pesticides to ward off hungry insects. Thankfully, the amount of pesticides used to grow oranges is less than is used in the growth of many other fruits. But nonetheless it’s still wise to give them a quick clean with a solution made from 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and one cup of ordinary water.
There’s gold in them there skins
Orange peels are a goldmine of nutrients. The peelings from one medium-sized orange have approximately 60 flavonoids and 117 various photo-nutrients. According to Ayurvedic medicinal guru Dr J Bhattacharjee, the nutrients contained in orange peels are not only good your body but also have excellent topical value not to mention they can be put to good use in your home.
The medicinal benefits of orange peel
To use Ayurvedic terminology, orange skin tastes “titka”; an Ayurvedic word meaning “bitter.” Not only can they be used to accelerate your metabolism, but they can also aid digestion too. It’s a great treatment for gas, heartburn, nausea and vomiting. It’s also useful for helping to stimulate your appetite.
It can also be used to dissolve phlegm, as well as helping to pacify and help to treat asthma attacks.
These medicinal properties are gained thanks to the essential oils that are contained in orange skins. These oils have anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory characteristics. In addition, the essential oil known as “D-Limonene” has the ability to dilute stomach acids, and facilitates good intestinal health. Last but not least, it also supports healthy liver function.
Helping to reduce cholesterol and fend off cancer and osteoporosis
Recent research also shows that orange peelings can defuse cholesterol and triglyceride; in other words, orange they can benefit people with high levels of cholesterol. Recent research also shows that orange skin can be used to fend off colon cancer and osteoporosis, through the flavonoid “Hesperidine” that they contain.
Calming nerves and inducing sleep
The essential oils within orange peel also have a calming effect and can therefore be used to steady anyone of a nervous disposition; they can also help with sleep.
Orange peel as a skin toner
It has also been found that rubbing an orange peel gently on your skin (if your skin is naturally oily) helps to return balance to your skin’s natural oils, making your skin feel softer and smoother.
Another use for orange peelings in terms of your skin, is to use them as a natural exfoliator. They have the ability to slough off dead cells from your skins surface, and eradicate blackheads. Orange peels can also be used to treat pimples, and acne, utilizing the peel’s natural cleansing, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal characteristics.
The great scent and flavor of orange
The other great thing about orange peel is its wonderful scent. It springs forth as soon as you peel an orange, bombarding the air with wonderfully fresh, zesty smells. You can enhance the aroma even more by boiling your orange peelings in a little water with some added spices such as cloves and/or cinnamon; and speaking of spices, adding that lovely tangy, bitter orange flavor to soups, stews and casseroles, by way of sprinkling in a few orange peelings, is a great flavor enhancer.
Don’t forget that orange peelings also make great candy, which is not only super tasty, but is also rich in vitamin C, therefore helping to bolster your body’s immune system.
Banana skins
Banana skins also have other uses, apart from their comic use in Charlie Chaplin movies to put the skids under the Keystone cops. But as with orange peel, banana skins need to be detoxified too, to get rid of those pesticides; something you can achieve with the same mixture we described in the beginning of this article.
The various antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that banana skins contain can be used not only to help to remedy many illnesses and conditions, but can also be used to facilitate new cell regeneration. Let’s take a quick look at some of the extraordinary capabilities held within these slippery little customers.
A filtering agent
Recent studies have shown that banana skins have the capability of being able to leach lead and copper from water.
Your skin’s best friend – treats insect bites, skin conditions including warts, psoriasis and wrinkles
Rubbing banana peel onto the area of skin, where you have been bitten by an insect, can help to minimize any irritation.
Banana peel can also be used to not only “magic warts away” but can help to prevent them from reappearing too. This can be a little tricky; but if you can find an easy way of covering the wart overnight with a piece of banana peel, or alternatively rub the peel into the area round the wart(s), (either treatment needs to be continued for approximately one week); it’s “goodbye warts”.
Psoriasis is a nasty skin condition that causes your skin to irrupt in red, flaky skin rashes, typically covered with crusty patches and silver scales. Banana peel can be applied to reduce the inflammation and soothe any irritation. Just rub the peel into the infected areas on a daily basis, and after a few days, you should begin to notice a significant improvement. It will also help to put moisture back into your skin as well.
Continuing on with banana peel’s ability to help skin to recover from various ailments and conditions through its natural antihistamine type characteristics, it is also able to help to treat mild rashes, poison ivy rash, and inflamed, irritated, skin, including skin that has been overexposed to the Sun.
Heal contusions
Because of its regenerative capabilities, banana peel can also be used to accelerate the healing of contusions.
Healing small cuts and scratches
Rubbing the inside skin of a banana peel against minor cuts and/or scratches (once they stopped bleeding of course) can help to accelerate healing.
Removing splinters
As with warts, if you can find a way of keeping a piece of banana peel (inside face down against the skin) over the area where the splinter is, the enzymes in the peel will encourage the splinter to dislodge itself and migrate towards the surface of your skin.
Whiter than white
Rubbing the inside of the banana peel against your teeth for a few minutes several days per week can significantly improve their whiteness.
Headache relief
Banana peel can also be reportedly used to dispatch headaches by simply spreading the banana peel over your forehead and then just lying back and relaxing while the nutrients contained within the peel go to work.
A great natural polisher
Last but not least, banana peel can be used as a great polishing agent for shoes. Simply remove any of the more stringy parts of the peel and then get busy rubbing it into the area you wish to polish, and watch that shine grown
Living a healthy lifestyle also means looking after the planet’s rare resources and being as eco-friendly as possible; you either so don’t forget that any wastage you have (after you’ve finished extracting all the benefits you can from your peelings and leftover skins of course) can be made into a nutrient rich compost to help to grow healthy new fruits and vegetables.
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