Winter is the season for oranges, and it's common to see people wash the orange peels after eating the fruit and use them to make tea, believing it is beneficial to health. In fact, fresh orange peels and the aged dried orange peels used in traditional Chinese medicine are not the same thing. Fresh peels do not possess medicinal properties, and using them to make tea may even have adverse effects on health.
As is well known, Chenpi (aged dried orange peel) is made from the peels of mature oranges that are sun-dried or air-dried. The longer it is aged, the better it is, and it is generally not used until it is at least a year old. After a year, the content of volatile oils in the peel is greatly reduced, while the content of flavonoids is relatively increased. Only then does the medicinal value of Chenpi become apparent. Fresh orange peels, on the other hand, contain a high amount of volatile oils and do not have the same medicinal effects as Chenpi.
Another reason why fresh orange peels are not suitable for making tea is that their surface can be contaminated with pesticides and preservatives, which are harmful to human health. To prevent pests and diseases, orange trees are sprayed with pesticides multiple times from flowering to fruiting, and most of these pesticides cannot be broken down. Once they remain on the surface of the orange, they are difficult to remove. Furthermore, after harvesting, farmers often soak the oranges in preservatives before they are sold to market to prevent bacterial infection. Preservatives can inhibit bacteria on the orange's surface and extend its shelf life. While this does not affect the pulp, some of the toxins inevitably remain on the peel. Drinking tea made directly with such fresh orange peels may have adverse effects on health.