Orange vs. Mandarin Orange — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Macronutrients and Calories

Both oranges and mandarin oranges have similar macronutrient composition, with negligible differences in the amount of contents. 

Mandarin oranges contain negligibly more fats and carbs, sugars in particular, and slightly more calories. A 100-gram serving of a mandarine orange provides 53 calories, while a similar serving of oranges provides 47 calories. Oranges, on the other hand, have slightly higher levels of protein and fiber. Both foods do not contain cholesterol.

Oranges contain all the essential amino acids, whereas mandarin oranges entirely lack the essential amino acid methionine.

Orange would be the right choice between these two citrus fruits during low-carb, low-fat, or low-calorie diets.

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison

Mandarin orange

2

Protein: 0.81 g

Fats: 0.31 g

Carbs: 13.34 g

Water: 85.17 g

Other: 0.37 g

Orange

3

Protein: 0.94 g

Fats: 0.12 g

Carbs: 11.75 g

Water: 86.75 g

Other: 0.44 g

Contains more FatsFats	+158.3%
Contains more CarbsCarbs	+13.5%

Contains more ProteinProtein	+16%
Contains more OtherOther	+18.9%

~equal in Water ~86.75g

Vitamins

One cannot definitively say whether oranges or mandarin oranges have more vitamins.

Oranges contain double the amount of vitamin C that mandarin oranges have. 

A 100-gram serving of oranges provides 53.2mg of vitamin C, while a similar serving of mandarin oranges provides 26.7mg. Hence, both are great sources of vitamin C, which is essential for immune system function. 

Although the amounts of other vitamins present in a single serving of both oranges are almost negligible, when comparing the two, oranges are slightly richer in vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B5, and vitamin B9 (folate). On the other hand, mandarin oranges contain a higher concentration of vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B3, and vitamin B6. But again, the amount of these vitamins in a single serving is minimal.

Both do not contain vitamin D, vitamin K, and vitamin B12.

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

4

Orange

5

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+202.7%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+33.3%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+30%
Contains more CholineCholine	+21.4%

Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C	+99.3%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+50%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+11.1%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+15.7%
Contains more FolateFolate	+87.5%

~equal in Vitamin E ~0.18mg

~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

~equal in Vitamin K ~0µg

Minerals

A single serving of oranges and mandarin oranges contains no significant levels of any minerals. 

However, if we compare the minimal amounts present in each food, oranges are a little higher in calcium and potassium. However, mandarin oranges contain larger amounts of iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. Both fruits contain similar amounts of copper and zinc. Oranges do not contain sodium, whereas mandarin oranges do, although, again, these levels of sodium and any other above-mentioned minerals in both oranges are negligible. 

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

4

Orange

2

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+20%
Contains more IronIron	+50%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+42.9%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+56%

Contains less SodiumSodium	-100%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+400%

~equal in Calcium ~40mg

~equal in Potassium ~181mg

~equal in Copper ~0.045mg

~equal in Zinc ~0.07mg

Glycemic Index 

The glycemic index is a rating system used for foods containing carbohydrates. Mandarin oranges have a slightly higher glycemic index; however, both fruits be classified as low glycemic index foods.  

Raw oranges from Canada have an average glycemic index of 40, while mandarin segments, canned in juice, have a glycemic index of 47 (3, 4)

Acidity

One way to understand the acidity of foods is through their potential renal acid load (PRAL) value, which shows how much acid or base the given food produces inside the organism.

Based on Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL), oranges are a little more alkaline-forming.

Cardiovascular Health

Both oranges and mandarin oranges have been proven to have a positive association with the prevention of cardiovascular diseases due to their high contents of phytochemicals.

Evidence suggests that fruits in the Citrus genus significantly reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease risk, including myocardial infarction, dyslipidemia, and coronary artery pathology, due to the high content of flavonoids. The potential mechanism of action may be related to the intracellular pathways involved in direct cardiovascular and cardiometabolic effects mediated by naringenin, hesperetin, and eriodictyol or their glycosylated derivatives (5).

Citrus flavonoids scavenge free radicals, resulting in reduced oxidative stress, improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, modulated lipid metabolism and adipocyte differentiation, suppressed apoptosis, and improved endothelial dysfunction. Citrus flavonoids also modulate several signaling pathways controlling inflammation and other processes.

Last but not least, citrus flavonoids have been found to modulate different signaling pathways involved in adiposity and adipocyte differentiation and hence, could be of significant value for the development of antiobesity agents (6).

Compounds called carotenoids are what gives citrus fruits their bright orange and yellow coloring. Satsumas are rich in a specific type of carotenoid called β-cryptoxanthin. Due to this, they have been observed to lower cardiovascular disease risk. However, additional supplementation of β-cryptoxanthin to satsuma juice did not show improved results (7).

Citrus contains a minimal amount of salt, otherwise called sodium chloride and is also high in potassium. This high-potassium to low-sodium ratio makes citrus fruits favorable for people with high blood pressure (8). Oranges contain more potassium and less sodium when compared to mandarin oranges, making them the better choice for people struggling with hypertension.

Diabetes

As mentioned earlier, citrus fruits, such as oranges and mandarins, generally have low glycemic indices. Nevertheless, the glycemic index of mandarin oranges is slightly higher than that of sweet oranges.

Studies in experimental diabetes models demonstrate the efficacy of citrus flavonoids in improving glucose tolerance, increasing insulin secretion and sensitivity, and decreasing insulin resistance. These flavonoids may also reduce hepatic glucose output and intestinal glucose absorption, enhance peripheral glucose uptake, suppress inflammation, and modulate the activity of enzymes and transporters involved in glucose and lipid metabolism (6).

Long-term supplementation with flavanones has been observed to reduce glycemia and insulinemia in diabetic or insulin-resistant animals fed a high-fat diet. Additionally, glucose tolerance was improved. Revealing the insulin-like property of naringenin has further demonstrated the ability of naringenin and hesperidin to reduce the specific receptor expression and glucokinase activity, which is a key enzyme involved in glucose use. Another flavonoid that mandarins are rich in is the poly-methoxy flavone called tangeretin. In diabetic rats, tangeretin significantly reduced plasma glucose levels and increased insulin secretion, enhancing complex glucose metabolism (5).

One study identified a moderate inverse association between plasma vitamin C and fasting glucose and body mass index in adult subjects across the glycaemic spectrum. However, this relationship may be due to the depletion of vitamin C due to oxidative stress and inflammation resulting from dysglycemia, overweight/obesity, and smoking rather than lower dietary intakes. Further research is necessary to decide whether vitamin C supplementation through fruits can lead to a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus or complications related to metabolic syndrome and diabetes (9).

Cancer

There are many studies concerning the consumption of citrus fruits and the risk of cancer. The most studied cancer associated with citrus is stomach cancer, with most studies displaying protective qualities of citrus fruits on gastric cancer. One study showed that the consumption of citrus fruits protects the organism from non-cardia gastric cancer but not from cardia gastric cancer (8).

Overall, the greatest protection for increased citrus consumption appears to be for esophageal, oropharyngeal/ laryngeal (mouth, larynx, and pharynx), and stomach cancer. For these cancers, those studies showing a protective effect of citrus fruits showed risk reductions of 40-50% (8).

Some studies have also shown increased citrus consumption to lead to a decreased risk of breast, endometrial, gallbladder and kidney, urothelial, and thyroid cancers (8).

Allergy

Citrus fruits can contain various allergens. These include lipid transfer proteins, profilin, and pectin or, in case of contact dermatitis, limonene.

Citrus allergies often have cross-reactivity among other fruits and plants, such as pollen, apples, peaches, and others (10, 11).

Citrus allergy symptoms appear after eating or drinking something made with raw citrus fruits and include oral allergy syndrome, which is itching, swelling, burning, or redness of the mouth area. In rare cases, a citrus allergy can cause anaphylaxis. In people allergic to limonene, symptoms occur after touching the citrus and manifest as contact dermatitis (12).

It is important to differentiate a citrus allergy from sensitivity to citric acid. People can experience adverse effects from citric acid; however, it does not cause an immune response in the human organism (13).