We generally think of Vitamin C when we think of citrus fruits, and the boost for our immune system that we get from oranges and other citrus varieties.

But there are other benefits to incorporating citrus into our diets as well, as Janine Albers, registered dietician with HyVee, explains:

"It contains potassium, which helps to regulate blood pressure. It's a great source of soluble fiber. That helps to decrease cholesterol and control appetite and hunger. There's 170 different natural compounds in oranges alone that may have protective benefits against cancer and heart disease."

Janine says a lot of the natural compounds and health benefits are contained within the white part, or the membrane, so when you're peeling an orange or a tangerine, try not to peel all of it away.

Citrus varieties that are in season right now include oranges of course, but also grapefruits, pommelos, tangerines and tangelos as well.

One of the other citrus varieties Janine mentioned was the kumquat, and in case you've never seen one, it's just a little thing. And you can actually pop the whole thing in your mouth, except for a couple of seeds.

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