Winter is the season of oranges. It is considered healthy to soak orange peel in water. In fact, fresh orange peel is different from dried tangerine peel used in traditional Chinese medicine, and it has no efficacy. Soaking in water may also have adverse effects on health.

As we all know, dried tangerine peel is made by drying or air-drying mature orange peel. The longer it lasts, the better. Generally, it will take another year before it can be used. After the next year, the content of volatile oil in dried tangerine peel will be greatly reduced, while the content of flavonoids will be relatively increased. At this time, the medicinal value of dried tangerine peel can be reflected. However, fresh orange peel contains more volatile oil and does not have the medicinal effect of dried tangerine peel. Modern medical research has proved that dried tangerine peel has great medicinal effects, such as strengthening stomach, stopping vomiting, eliminating phlegm, relieving cough and diuresis. Its decoction contains adrenoid, which is more stable than adrenaline and will not be destroyed when boiled. Fresh orange peel has no such effect.

Another reason why fresh orange peel can't be soaked in water instead of dry orange peel is that the surface of fresh orange peel is polluted by pesticides and preservatives, which is harmful to human health. In recent years, in order to prevent orange trees from being damaged by pests and diseases, pesticides have to be sprayed many times from flowering to fruiting, and most pesticides cannot be decomposed. Once they remain on the surface of oranges, it is difficult to remove them. In addition, in order to prevent bacteria from invading oranges, most fruit farmers will soak oranges with preservatives before they go on the market. Preservatives can inhibit the bacteria on the surface of oranges, prolong the shelf life, and have no effect on the pulp, but it is difficult to avoid leaving some toxins on the orange peel. Soaking this fresh orange peel directly in water may have adverse effects on health.