Look at any advertisement, blog, website or health magazine that talks about a healthy breakfast and one will always see a glass of bright yellow orange juice on the table. Orange juice is often classified as an A grade food, meaning that it has great nutritional value to offer. Below, one can learn more about the health benefits that orange juice can provide us.
Health Benefits
Nutritional value – A cup of orange juice, about 250 grams worth, provides just 112 calories. That same serving size also yields in 200% of the daily value of vitamin C, 10% of the daily value of vitamin A and about 5% of the daily value of calcium and iron. Another little known fact about orange juice is that it is impressively high in protein content, with a cup providing almost 2 grams of protein. Orange juice is also an excellent source of potassium and thiamin.
Vitamin C source – As mentioned above, a cup of orange juice provides the body with more than 200% of the daily value of vitamin C that it needs. Since the body can’t store vitamin C, it is essential that people get a daily dosage of it from foods that they consume regularly. If anything, orange juice can be included in a daily diet, just as a source of vitamin C. Other fruits that are rich in vitamin C include camu camu and kakadu plums.
Anti-inflammatory – Orange juice has fantastic anti-inflammatory properties. They especially come in handy when one consumes a high carbohydrate or high fat breakfast. As an example, when one eats eggs, bacon and pancakes for breakfast, there is a risk that the high carbohydrate and fat intake might inflame blood vessels, with the body not being able to handle the sugar spike and the abnormal fat intake caused by the rather heavy breakfast. Orange juice can negate those effects as it has the ability to reduce insulin resistance and also reduce absorption of fats into the blood vessels.
Improved blood pressure – When one consumes orange juice regularly, as part of their breakfast, on an everyday basis, there is a chance that it can help reduce blood pressure levels. In particular, orange juice can improve and correct abnormal diastolic blood pressure levels. The blood pressure correcting ability of orange juice comes from a pigment called hesperidin that has the ability to improve the efficiency of small blood vessels in the body, thereby correcting blood pressure levels and also offering some other types of improvements to the general health of the heart.
Optimized cholesterol levels – Research has not been able to point out why a regular intake of orange juice has a tendency to optimize cholesterol levels, by reducing bad, LDL cholesterol levels and by increasing good, HDL cholesterol levels. However, in several case studies, it was observed that orange juice, when consumed over a period of just 2-3 weeks, almost always resulted in an improvement of cholesterol levels.
Antioxidants – Like coconuts, mangoes, grapes, and watermelons, orange juice contains a healthy dosage of antioxidants, with vitamin C being the most important antioxidant that it can provide. Drinking a glass of orange juice in the morning is akin to preparing the body to fight against free radical damage, damage that can result in various problems such as premature aging, the formation of cancers and other chronic illnesses.
Excellent source of potassium – Orange juice is an excellent source of potassium, as mentioned earlier. Potassium is a mineral that can help a person avoid various health issues such as unstable sugar levels, muscle disorders, unstable blood pressure, stroke, disorders of the brain, kidney disorders and an unstable water balance level in the body.
Excellent source of thiamin – Orange juice is an excellent source of thiamin, otherwise known as vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 can help improve energy levels, promote a healthy nervous system, prevent cataracts and macular degeneration, and also slow down the effects of aging in a person. Vitamin B1 also has a small role to play in the prevention of mental disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and certain other brain disorders.
Conclusion
Though orange juice in general is good, one has to be careful about the type of juice that they buy. Since orange juice is an extremely popular product, many unethical manufacturers have tried to pass on orange juice that contains extracts, additives and other processing agents that make the production of orange juice cheaper. Ideally, one should only buy 100% pure orange juice that is unsweetened and unprocessed.
