Fresh orange peel should not be used to make tea.
Winter is the season for oranges. It is common to see people wash the orange peels after eating the oranges and use them to make tea, believing it is beneficial to health. In fact, fresh orange peel is not the same as the dried tangerine peel used in traditional Chinese medicine and does not have medicinal properties. Using it to make tea may even have adverse effects on health.
As is well known, dried tangerine peel is made from mature orange peels that are sun-dried or air-dried. The longer it is stored, the better it is, and it is generally only used after a year. After a year, the essential oil content in dried tangerine peel is greatly reduced, while the content of flavonoids is relatively increased. Only then does its medicinal value become apparent. Fresh orange peel, on the other hand, contains a high amount of essential oil and does not possess the medicinal properties of dried tangerine peel.
Another reason why fresh orange peel should not be used to make tea is that its surface may be contaminated with pesticides and preservatives, which can be harmful to human health. To prevent pests and diseases from affecting the orange trees, pesticides are sprayed multiple times from flowering to fruiting. Most of these pesticides cannot be broken down and, once they remain on the surface of the orange, are difficult to remove. Furthermore, after harvesting, farmers often soak the oranges in preservatives before they go to market to prevent bacteria from entering the fruit. Preservatives can inhibit surface bacteria and extend the shelf life. While this has no effect on the pulp, some residues of these toxins are inevitably left on the peel. Drinking tea made directly with such fresh orange peels may have adverse effects on health.