Mandarins, clementines, and oranges all boast impressive health benefits, and you may wonder whether they’re all variations of the same fruit.  Mandarins belong to the Citrus genus. It’s believed they originated in ancient China, which is how they got their name. Their peel is deep-orange, leathery, and protects the sweet, juicy segments inside. Unlike oranges, mandarins are not round. Rather, they’re oblong, resembling a sphere with a flattened top and bottom. They’re also easier to peel.

There are several popular types of mandarins, including satsuma mandarins, or Citrus unshiu. This type is typically associated with Japan, though it also grows readily in the Gulf Coast region and other areas of the Southern United States.

The common mandarin, also known as Citrus reticulate Blanco or Ponkan mandarins, is another popular type. It grows widely across warm temperate to tropical climates, including parts of China, Brazil, Spain, and the Philippines.

Mandarins also provide important minerals. While they’re not a rich source of copper, they boast more of it than most fruits. Copper is essential to health, as it aids red blood cell production and iron absorption. Thus, it helps transport oxygen to your tissues.

Like most citrus fruits, mandarins are loaded with vitamins, fiber, and beneficial plant compounds. Consuming them regularly may provide many health benefits. What’s more, they’re easy to pack as a snack, toss into smoothies, or peel into salads or gelatin desserts.

Given their high content of vitamin C, mandarins may strengthen your immune system. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that boosts the function of your immune cells to fight against oxidative damage. It also promotes the death of harmful microbes. What’s more, it improves skin and tissue integrity. In fact, supplementing with high doses of vitamin C may shorten wound healing time in certain situations.

A large population study associated a diet rich in citrus fruit like mandarins with a reduced risk of kidney stones, which are crystallized minerals that your body excretes in urine. They can be extremely painful to pass. Fortunately, regularly consuming citrus fruits can boost your citrate levels, which is thought to reduce your risk of kidney stones.