Five surprising health benefits of orange fruit juice

Orange fruit juice is, perhaps, among the richest nutrients our body need to perform optimally. And talking about benefits, what we know about 100% orange fruit juice is a tip of its overall dietary worth.

In this article, I will be sharing five surprising health benefits of orange fruit juice, as contained in ‘Fruit Juice Matters’, and advancing reasons fruit juice has become essentially important for every individual and also invite you to an engagement on how a daily intake of pure orange fruit juice can transform your body system.

More than just a bag of natural sugar
Orange fruit juice contains some unique features, which include the fact that it holds natural sugar that develops as the fruits grow on the trees. This sugar is mostly in the form of fructose and it comes along with a variety of vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and potassium known to support blood pressure and enhance wellbeing and efficiency of the body system.

Intake of orange juice is an important component of the overall health goal, looking at the food pyramid with respect to dietary guidelines, orange fruit like every other fruit counts as part of five portions a day, and juicing of these fruits has remained a convenient way to help meet the recommended daily servings.

The right amount a day keeps obesity away
In order to promote public health and combat obesity, public health experts have, in recent years, focused on campaigns to promote the consumption of foods that reduce health risks and add to the overall wellbeing of the body. It is often noted that pure fruit juice intake has the potential of improving public health status.

Sadly, some people have erroneously associated overweight and obesity with fruit juice. This is one of the misconceptions of fruit juice; obesity has nothing to do with pure fruit juice intake. Rather, obesity is caused by excess consumption of sugar, and ‘excess’ here has more to do with individual need than any other factor. When sugar intake exceeds the recommended dietary allowance, it is often converted to fat.

Researchers have proved that there is no association between consumption of 100% orange juice or any other pure fruit juice and overweight, obesity, BMI, body fat or waist circumference in children or adults. Participants in a study who drank orange juice three times a day with main meal were found to have a net decrease in average body fat of -0.3kg.

Studies have also showed that the consumption of orange juice is not associated with adverse health effects often linked with the consumption of junks. Instead, it detoxifies the body and enhances its ability to fight health-related challenges. While this is not a dietary advice, it puts recent knowledge on the table

An ally for a healthy heart
The heart is important to human life, and it works hard nonstop throughout one’s lifetime. Thus, it is important one protects this vital organ of the body by complying with the recommended dietary allowance of key nutrients that promote a healthy heart. Science shows that 100% orange juice may facilitate free cholesterol transfer to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, thereby maintaining a healthy heart.

100% fruit juice is considered a nutrient-dense beverage, a pack of Chivita 100% Fruit Juice, to mention a notable brand with shelf integrity in the Nigeria market is a reliable source.

Reducing high blood pressure and insulin resistance
Also, there is substantial evidence from observational studies that the consumption of orange fruit juice has a protective effect against the risk of hypertension and other major heart diseases, with randomized controlled trials showing an inverse relationship between 100% fruit juice and hypertension. This is because 100% red-orange is high in lycopene that is proven to statistically reduce blood pressure and insulin resistance.

Small glass can improve the body’s glycaemic control
A glass of 100% orange fruit juice can move the glycaemic index from the lower range to the upper band. This is because it is a nutrient-dense drink, which provides the following nutrients; potassium, magnesium, folate, calcium, vitamin A and C, soluble fiber and bioactive substances.

Finally, we all need a glass of refreshing and nourishing orange fruit juice as often as possible. At the same time, we need to be cautious about the integrity of the brand we patronize. My simple approach to the integrity question is to steer clear of unknown labels and stick to Chivita, which I have known for years.

*Malomo is a clinical dietitian (Twitter: @malomoolusola)