Having orange juice for breakfast has become a staple in many people’s homes, and for good reason. It has a tremendous amount of health benefits, it's a refreshing way to start the day, and it tastes amazing. But recently orange juice has come under some scrutiny. Many people are becoming juiceless for one main reason: sugar. Due to the amount of research linking sugar to a wide variety of health ailments including childhood obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, many people are opting to remove sugar and orange juice from their diets. But is this a good choice?
Here are some of the pros and cons in the debate on orange juice to help you come up with your own decision.
Pros of Drinking Orange Juice
Orange juice has made its way to the breakfast table for a good reason. It has a tremendous amount of health benefits.
It's a great nutrient boost. Orange juice is a highly concentrated version of the orange, which in itself is full of vitamins and minerals. Just one orange on average contains 116% of your daily recommended levels of vitamin C. An 8 oz glass of orange juice can contain 4 or 5 oranges. Despite the fact that we are removing many of the nutrients through the juicing process, juice still adds up to be a good source of vitamins and minerals. Some store-bought orange juices are even fortified with additional essentials such as A, E, and D. Your average glass of OJ contains:
110 calories
2 grams of protein
26 grams of carbs
67% of the daily value of vitamin C
15% folate
10% potassium
6% magnesium
It’s a great source of vitamin C.Vitamin C helps promote the formation of bones, aids in the healing of wounds, and contributes to healthy gums. It also helps the body absorb iron. Which is why orange juice is a great drink to pair with eggs in the morning for a completely healthy and balanced breakfast. Vitamin C is also one of the many powerful antioxidants that orange juice contains to help keep the immune system functioning optimally.
It contains folate. Orange Juice is also high in folate or vitamin B-9, a compound that is needed for DNA synthesis and an extremely important element needed for fetal development. It is one of the B-vitamins that is needed to make red and white blood cells in your bone marrow. It also is responsible for converting carbs into the energy your body needs to thrive.
It is high in potassium. You will also get a boost of potassium when you drink orange juice. Potassium is great for regulating blood pressure and protecting the cardiovascular system, as well as preventing bone loss.
Orange juice has cancer-preventing antioxidants. Antioxidants are a great way to stay healthy and keep our normal cells from mutating into cancer cells. The antioxidants found in orange juice also prevent oxidative damage from free radicals. Research has shown over and over again that antioxidants are crucial to overall wellness. They protect our bodies against heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The antioxidants in orange juice are derived from flavonoids, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid. One study found that drinking 25 ounces of orange juice daily significantly increased antioxidant status.
Orange juice can help you see clearly. As we age, many of us face macular degeneration that affects the health of our eyes. Macular degeneration is now being linked to low levels of antioxidants. An increase of antioxidants such as those found in orange juice can prevent cellular damage in the retinas by fighting off free-radicals produced in the body by the absorption of visual light.
OJ may even help prevent kidney stones. If you’ve suffered from a kidney stone, you know how painful they can be, and you’d probably be most appreciative of any information that would prevent further kidney stones from forming in your body again. Orange juice can increase the pH levels in your body, making it more alkaline, which has been shown to help prevent kidney stones. Those who consume orange juice at least once daily are estimated to have a 12% lower risk of developing kidney stones.
Cheers to a healthy heart. Drinking OJ may help reduce high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, keeping the heart strong and reducing the risks for heart disease, which accounts for over 17 million deaths a year. Long-term orange juice drinkers were found to have lower LDL cholesterol levels, higher HDL, and lower diastolic blood pressure readings.
OJ can help inflammation. High levels of inflammation for long periods of time have been linked as a contributing factor to many chronic illnesses. While inflammation is a normal part of the immune system used to protect against infections and disease, chronic inflammation has been linked to multiple issues. Certain inflammatory markers such as elevated C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-a have all been seen in certain cancers, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease. Reviews have found that orange juice could decrease inflammation and aid in disease prevention.
Cons of Drinking Orange Juice
Drinking orange juice can have many benefits. But there is another side of the story that should be examined as well, as drinking too much juice has been linked to an increased rate of childhood obesity and other problems. Here is why:
Orange juice has way too much sugar! It takes quite a few oranges to make a glass of OJ. With each orange weighing in at 4 -5 grams, one cup can give you up to 26 grams of sugar, which exceeds the daily recommended intake of 25 grams for women, and is ¾ of the amount for men’s 37 grams. That’s a lot of sugar!
The acid could affect your teeth. Juice in all forms is highly acidic upon the first contact with your mouth. Over time, drinking excessive amounts can erode the enamel on your teeth and cause severe dental damage.
Drinking sugar-sweetened drinks are linked to higher risks of type-2 diabetes and cancer. Aside from the normal amounts of sugar contained in orange juice, many juices also contain added sugars which can cause unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels and add too much sugar to the daily intake. One study also linked sugary drinks to higher risks for cancer.
Juice is high in calories. There have been multiple studies showing that the regular consumption of orange juice and other fruit juices are linked to increased weight gain over time. Juice, unlike its whole fruit counterparts, lacks fiber which is removed during the juicing process. Less fiber makes it less filling, which means you are open to consuming more calories than you should.
The Best Way to Drink Your Orange Juice
The orange juice debate has great pros and cons on each side. There are ways to benefit from the juice while decreasing the risk factors involved. Some top ideas to keep orange juice on the menu include:
Instead of leisurely sipping your juice, drink it quickly to avoid the acid having prolonged contact with the enamel on your teeth. Rinse your mouth after, or follow up the juice with a glass of water
Stick to a ½ a cup a day, or 4 ounces to eliminate some of the sugar intake. You can add water to dilute it and fill your cup. This will also cut calories and help reduce weight gain.
Look for OJ with pulp. Although we all probably prefer the smoothness of no-pulp juice, when you filter out the pulp you are also filtering out nutrients and fiber along with it. Fiber helps slow the absorption of sugars into the blood and lowers cholesterol levels.
Make your own juice. You can control the number of oranges that go into your juice, you can dilute it with water if you’d like, and you will also avoid added sugars. By juicing your own products, you also avoid the pasteurization and processing that most store-bought juices undergo which removes a lot of nutrients. You can also add in your own blend of fruits and veggies to the mix for greater availability of raw nutrients.
Or, instead of reaching for a glass of juice, you could just eat the whole orange! You get all the vitamins and fiber, without the overdose of sugar.
When to Be Cautious
There are some instances when orange juice should be completely avoided. If you have diabetes, are at risk for diabetes, or are overweight, the high sugar content of orange juice may cause more problems than it helps. If you have serious problems with your teeth or have acid reflux, you may also want to avoid orange juice as the acidity can further deteriorate your already weakened enamel.
If you are following a strict diet for your health, such as the Adrenal Fatigue Diet, it is imperative for your wellbeing that you avoid sugar whenever possible, especially in the morning. Adrenal fatigue is a condition where exposure to chronic stress can cause the adrenal glands to become fatigued and not operate efficiently. The body is then unable to keep up with the number of hormones needed for its normal functioning. The body’s stress response system, or NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response, which encompasses the six main systems of the body, begins to shut down, leading to numerous related health ailments. A specific diet, along with other health care regimens, helps to strengthen the adrenals and aid the body towards healing. Diet should be strategized with a nutritional specialist.
In Conclusion
As you can see, there are benefits and there are drawbacks to drinking orange juice. Regular consumption has been linked to many positive health benefits like improved heart and cellular health, reduced risk of kidney stones, better vision, and reduced inflammation. However, its high calorie and sugar content have left many opting out of this morning refresher. If you love orange juice and would love to keep it part of your diet, practice portion control and opt for a fresh-squeezed version to maximize the pros and minimize the cons.
It is never advisable to use orange juice to heal or prevent any ailments. Contact your primary care physician if you have any questions regarding your health and diet.
Should orange juice be removed from a person’s diet?
After weighing the pros and cons of drinking orange juice, there are many more positive attributes to this favorite beverage than negative. However, if you are diabetic, or just watching your sugar and calorie intake, it is important that watch the quantity that you are drinking.
Having orange juice for breakfast has become a staple in many people’s homes, and for good reason. It has a tremendous amount of health benefits, it's a refreshing way to start the day, and it tastes amazing. But recently orange juice has come under some scrutiny. Many people are becoming juiceless for one main reason: sugar. Due to the amount of research linking sugar to a wide variety of health ailments including childhood obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, many people are opting to remove sugar and orange juice from their diets. But is this a good choice?
It’s a great source of vitamin C. Vitamin C helps promote the formation of bones, aids in the healing of wounds, and contributes to healthy gums. It also helps the body absorb iron. Which is why orange juice is a great drink to pair with eggs in the morning for a completely healthy and balanced breakfast. Vitamin C is also one of the many powerful antioxidants that orange juice contains to help keep the immune system functioning optimally.
OJ may even help prevent kidney stones. If you’ve suffered from a kidney stone, you know how painful they can be, and you’d probably be most appreciative of any information that would prevent further kidney stones from forming in your body again. Orange juice can increase the pH levels in your body, making it more alkaline, which has been shown to help prevent kidney stones. Those who consume orange juice at least once daily are estimated to have a 12% lower risk of developing kidney stones.
If you are following a strict diet for your health, such as the Adrenal Fatigue Diet, it is imperative for your wellbeing that you avoid sugar whenever possible, especially in the morning. Adrenal fatigue is a condition where exposure to chronic stress can cause the adrenal glands to become fatigued and not operate efficiently. The body is then unable to keep up with the number of hormones needed for its normal functioning. The body’s stress response system, or NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response, which encompasses the six main systems of the body, begins to shut down, leading to numerous related health ailments. A specific diet, along with other health care regimens, helps to strengthen the adrenals and aid the body towards healing. Diet should be strategized with a nutritional specialist.
As you can see, there are benefits and there are drawbacks to drinking orange juice. Regular consumption has been linked to many positive health benefits like improved heart and cellular health, reduced risk of kidney stones, better vision, and reduced inflammation. However, its high calorie and sugar content have left many opting out of this morning refresher. If you love orange juice and would love to keep it part of your diet, practice portion control and opt for a fresh-squeezed version to maximize the pros and minimize the cons.
