Whether it's a complimentary breakfast during a vacation or a quick sip after your workout session, you will find a way to include orange juice almost everywhere. And why not? It is refreshing, loaded with nutrients and gives you an instant morning boost. Since it is not too bitter, a glass of fresh orange juice is more likely to find takers than maybe amla or bitter gourd juice. But when it comes to drinking it daily, it can get a little tricky. Sure, it has its own set of benefits, but is it really that healthy that you consume it every day? If you have the same question about the humble OJ, then you have landed on the right page. Let's see if a daily glass of orange juice is a yay or a nay.
Also Read: Ultimate Guide To Oranges: 5 Different Varieties In India You Must Try
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What Are The Health Benefits Of Orange Juice?
1. Boosts Immunity
Orange juice is packed with vitamin C, which helps keep your immunity strong. This can keep you protected from cold, flu, and other inflammatory diseases.
2. Keeps Skin Healthy
Struggling with dull skin? Orange juice can do wonders for you. Not only is it packed with vitamin C but also antioxidants which play a major role in fighting free radical activity. Free radicals can make your skin look dull and also promote wrinkles and ageing. The abundance of vitamin C in the orange juice can help you get youthful and radiant skin.
3. Strong Bones
It is a known fact that orange has a lot of calcium content in it. This can help with your bone health and keep them strong. Our skeleton is all bones so it is important to keep the structure strong. Fun fact: orange is packed with flavonoids like naringenin and hesperidin which is anti-inflammatory and may help relieve arthritis pain.
4. Kidney Stones
As per the popular book ‘Healing Foods' by DK Publishing, oranges have high amounts of citrate concentrate. This means that when you drink orange juice, it can help break down calcium oxalate stone formation and provide relief from kidney stones.
5. Heart Health
Orange is packed with hesperidin – which according to ‘Healing Foods' – can help reduce symptoms of hypertension. Pectin and liminoid compounds found in oranges can help slow down the hardening of arteries and also reduce bad cholesterol levels in the blood.
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Is It Okay To Drink Orange Juice Every Day?
No, but occasionally. While orange juice is packed with the goodness of this tangy fruit, juicing in general is not a recommended way to get its benefits. We spoke to nutritionist consultant Rupali Datta to know if drinking orange juice every day is recommended or not.
1. Removes The Good Part
While oranges are packed with fibre, which helps keep you full and your digestive system happy, orange juice lacks it. As per the expert, when you juice an orange, the fibre is mostly removed and you are only left with a glass of sweet water with nutrients. Fibre helps in slowing down sugar absorption and removing toxins and waste material from your digestive system.
2. Sugar Overload
Many people prefer buying packaged juice rather than juicing oranges themselves. You'll be surprised to know that most of the market-bought orange juices are packed with sugar, and have added colours and preservatives to make it tastier. Even if you are juicing oranges at home, you will be using 3-4 oranges which could be too much sugar consumption for the day. As per Datta, this could lead to sugar overload. “At the end of the day, orange or any other fruit is simple sugars. You should rather have 3 oranges as a whole than juice them.”
3. May Lead To Dumping Syndrome
Too much orange juice can lead to dumping syndrome. For the unversed, dumping syndrome is when foods that are high in sugar move from your stomach into your small bowel too quickly after you eat. This leads to large amounts of undigested food to rush to your small intestine. You might experience abdominal cramps, nausea, or even blood sugar fluctuations. Since orange juice is pretty high in sugar, you might experience dumping syndrome if you consume it regularly.
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So, you can certainly have orange juice occasionally for its benefits but in moderation so that you don't ruin your health.