Mandarin orange vs. Nectarine — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Calories

Mandarin orange provides more calories per 100g serving. A 100g of nectarine has 44 kcal, whereas Mandarin orange provides 53 kcal.

Protein

Plant food products are not considered protein sources. However, nectarine has slightly more proteins than Mandarin orange. A 100g serving of nectarine provides 1.06g of protein. On the other hand, Mandarin orange has 0.81g.

Fats

Nectarine and Mandarin orange are plants. Hence, they are not good sources of fats; they have less than 1g of fat, and their fat content may be considered negligible. 

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Mandarin orange

0

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.039 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.06 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.065 g

Nectarine

3

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.025 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.088 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.113 g

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat	-35.9%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat	+46.7%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+73.8%

Carbohydrates

Mandarin orange has a higher carb content. 

100g of Mandarin orange provides 13.34g of carbohydrates, 1.8g of which is dietary fiber, and 11.54g are net carbs. Mandarin orange is notably higher in sucrose, glucose, and fructose.

100g of nectarine contains 10.55g of carbohydrates, 1.7g of which are dietary fiber, and 8.85g are net carbs.

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Mandarin orange

3

Starch: 0 g

Sucrose: 6.05 g

Glucose: 2.13 g

Fructose: 2.4 g

Lactose: 0 g

Maltose: 0 g

Galactose: 0 g

Nectarine

1

Starch: 0.07 g

Sucrose: 4.87 g

Glucose: 1.57 g

Fructose: 1.37 g

Lactose: 0 g

Maltose: 0 g

Galactose: 0 g

Contains more SucroseSucrose	+24.2%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose	+35.7%
Contains more FructoseFructose	+75.2%

Contains more StarchStarch

+∞%

~equal in Lactose ~0g

~equal in Maltose ~0g

~equal in Galactose ~0g

Vitamins

Mandarine has more than two times more vitamin A and over five times more vitamin C.  Mandarin oranges are also higher in vitamins B1, B2, B5, and folate. 

In a 100g serving, Mandarin orange and nectarine have 26.7mg and 5.4mg of vitamin C, respectively.One hundred grams of nectarine provides 0.77mg of vitamin E, while Mandarin orange contains 0.2mg. Nectarine contains 2.2mg of vitamin K, whereas Mandarin orange contains no amounts of that vitamin. 

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Mandarin orange

8

Nectarine

3

Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C	+394.4%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+105.1%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+70.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+33.3%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+16.8%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+212%
Contains more FolateFolate	+220%
Contains more CholineCholine	+64.5%

Contains more Vitamin E Vitamin E	+285%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+199.2%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+∞%

~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Minerals

Nectarine is higher in most of the minerals compared to mandarin orange. Per 100g, nectarine and Mandarin orange contain 201mg and 166mg of potassium, respectively. 

Nectarine also has more zinc, phosphorus, iron, copper, and manganese. On the other hand, Mandarin orange has more calcium, magnesium, and selenium.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Mandarin orange

3

Nectarine

7

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+33.3%
Contains more CalciumCalcium	+516.7%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+∞%

Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+21.1%
Contains more IronIron	+86.7%
Contains more CopperCopper	+104.8%
Contains more ZincZinc	+142.9%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+30%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-100%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+38.5%

Oxalates

Mandarin orange has a higher oxalate content. A 100g serving of nectarine contains 4mg of oxalates, while the same amount of Mandarin orange has 14mg of oxalates.

Glycemic Index

Mandarin orange has a higher glycemic index (GI) than nectarine. The glycemic index of Mandarin orange equals 47. Nectarine has a glycemic index of 43. Generally, both of them are low-oxalate foods. 

Glycemic Load

The glycemic load (GL) of Mandarin orange is 6, whereas nectarine has a GL of 5. The glycemic load of both fruits falls in the low category. 

Cancer

Nectarines contain large amounts of antioxidants, especially polyphenols, that are directly involved in the organism’s anti-cancer activity (1). 

As a study indicates, increased consumption of nectarines has a positive effect on decreasing lung cancer risk in men (2). Also, it lowers the risk of esophageal (3) and breast cancer in postmenopausal women (4). This is mostly due to nectarine’s polyphenol activity. 

Mandarin orange shows its anti-cancer properties with its flavonoid content. A study suggests that Mandarin orange contains the largest total amount of flavonoids among other citrus fruits (5). As a test-tube study shows, this fruit’s peel extract inhibits cancer cell growth (6). Thus, Mandarin orange may be actively involved in lowering the risk of colon, gastric, lung, and breast cancer (7).

Skin Health

Nectarine and Mandarin orange promote skin health by containing different chemicals. Nectarines are higher in copper content that is an essential growth stimulator for the dermis layer - the second layer of the skin (8). Besides, copper supports collagen maturation and has an impressive antimicrobial activity.

Mandarin orange contains more amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A. Vitamin C improves skin health by shortening wound-healing time and showing a powerful antioxidant capacity (9). Besides, vitamin A is involved in epithelial cell growth and epidermal protein synthesis stimulation (8).