Citrus fruit
From the YapSpan Longevity Wiki · Updated 2026-10-01
Citrus fruits are the juicy, segmented fruits of trees in the citrus family, including oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes and grapefruit. They are a major source of vitamin C and of flavanones, a group of flavonoid plant compounds. Citrus is eaten whole and as juice, and diet studies sometimes count the two together.
A large meta-analysis (a study that pools the results of earlier studies) of fruit and vegetable subtypes found that citrus fruit was associated with lower cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality (death from any cause), but its summary did not give a figure for citrus on its own [1]. No pooled all-cause mortality figure for citrus was found, and two US studies linked grapefruit with higher mortality, so the overall evidence is limited.
- In a review of 95 studies, citrus fruits were among the subtypes inversely associated with cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality [1].
- No pooled all-cause mortality figure for citrus was reported in the review summary [1].
- In two large US cohorts, increasing grapefruit plus grapefruit juice by 3.5 servings a week was linked to 6% higher total mortality [2].
- In the Nurses' Health Study II, frequent grapefruit eaters had higher all-cause mortality than women who did not eat grapefruit [3].
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YapSpan estimates are for reflection and entertainment only. They are not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prediction of any individual outcome. Check with a doctor before making any medical decision.