It’s one of the most popular health drinks in the world –
orange juice is constantly praised as a natural and healthy beverage and as a
result, it’s become a long-time breakfast staple
However, as the health trend that is juicing continues to gain
momentum, there are a few concerns over how healthy orange juice really is.
Yes, oranges themselves are rich in nutrients that the body can benefit from,
but does this still apply to orange juice? For a beverage that’s enjoyed around
the world, one has to wonder just how beneficial squeezing oranges to extract
the juice is.
What’s in it?
Surprising
to no one as it’s often the basis of its appeal, freshly squeezed orange juice
is naturally high in vitamin C. What’s more, vitamin A, fiber, copper, and
magnesium can also be found in a glass of orange juice.
Additionally,
fresh juice is also rich in folate, and potassium as well as antioxidants. In
fact, research published in the journal Food and Nutrition Research found that
consuming a daily amount of orange juice helped to significantly increase
antioxidant status.
So with
such a rich nutritional value, what benefits can a glass of OJ provide?
5 Orange juice benefits
1. It can protect you against kidney stones
Kidney stones are an
incredibly painful condition, yet research has found that a classic glass of OJ
may be exactly what you need to prevent it.
As mentioned, orange
juice contains high levels of potassium, but it also contains calcium and citrate
– 3 compounds that can help to reduce the risk of kidney stones. According to a
study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology,
drinking a glass of orange juice can help to reduce the risk of kidney stones
by 12%.
2. It boosts your immune system
Orange juice is incredibly high in vitamin C and, according to
the nutritional database, a single serving of the juice offers up to double the
daily requirement of vitamin C.
As a result of the high
presence of vitamin C, it works to stimulate the immune system and encourage it
to protect the body against several diseases, such as flu or colds.
3. It contains anti-cancer properties
Vitamin C works as an
antioxidant, which means it helps to protect the body from the damaging effects
of free radicals – compounds that can increase the risk of diseases such as
cancer.
Additionally, orange
juice also contains the antioxidant hesperidin, and according to research
published in the Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, this compound can
help to reduce tumor growth and encourage the death of cancer cells.
4. It helps to reduce inflammation
Inflammation is the
body’s natural response when it’s attempting to fight a disease or infection.
However, when this becomes chronic, then it becomes a catalyst for a number of
chronic diseases that include metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and certain
cancers. As a result, it’s always important to keep your inflammation in check
and one way to do so would be by drinking orange juice.
5. It may help protect your heart health
Heart disease continues
to be the leading cause of death worldwide, yet a glass of orange juice may
help curb these figures. This is because drinking orange juice may help to
reduce the risk factors associated with heart disease.
For instance, research
published in the journal Lipids in Health and Disease found that orange juice
helped to reduce the levels of both total and ‘bad LDL cholesterol all while
increasing the levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.
But is all orange juice good juice?
Now it’s important to
remember that the freshly squeezed orange juice that you make in the comfort of
your home is different from the orange juice that you’ll find in the grocery
store. This is because most processed orange juices contain added sugar,
preservatives, and extra calories.
As a result, these
store-bought juices can increase blood sugar levels, and thus increase the risk
of diabetes as well as weight gain.
As a result, it’s
preferable to either freshly squeeze your own orange juice. If you’re looking
to purchase orange juice or avoid frozen, canned or concentrated orange juices.
Rather only buy orange juices that carry the label 100% of freshly squeezed. It’s
also important to make sure that they don’t contain any added sugars.
Do I still need regular oranges?
Yes, orange juice
contains most of the nutrients found in a regular orange but that doesn’t mean
that you should stop replacing the actual fruit with its juice alternative.
Oranges are a great snack that you can enjoy on the go, and there’s no reason
as to why you need to substitute it for a juice alternative. Nonetheless, if
you really need to start off your day right, you could never go wrong with a glass
of OJ.
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