Orange juice is *not* a part of every complete breakfast. In fact, it’s pretty unhealthy for you. Growing up, I cherished the occasional lazy Saturday morning when I could eat breakfast in my pajamas and watch cartoons. Back then, it seemed every cereal ad included the phrase “Part of a complete breakfast!” — a meal made up of cereal, milk, and orange juice.
Since then, however, orange juice sales have dropped as health trends have shifted away from sugary beverages. The US orange juice market has decreased by 50% since 2001, according to Nielsen data.
From a public health perspective, that’s a good thing: Juice isn’t much better for you than a glass of soda or any other sweetened beverage in terms of its nutritional profile.
Sure, it has some vitamins — orange juice even has a small amount of protein — but research shows that the best way to get both of those nutrients is by eating a balanced diet full of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
Orange juice won’t help you heal from a cold or flu
This winter, as an especially bad flu epidemic has swept the US, people seem to have resumed drinking juice in the hope that it will help them fight off illness. Sales of the drink rose 0.9% in the four weeks ending on January 20, according to The Wall Street Journal — the first time in almost five years that Nielsen data showed a year-over-year increase.
But upping one’s OJ intake likely does more harm than good. Orange juice is very high in the sugar fructose, and sugars are actually known to suppress your immune system.
Many people believe that drinking juice is a good way to give the body vitamin C. While the vitamin is generally beneficial for your health, studies have found that it does nothing to prevent or treat the common cold. Plus, if you want to up your vitamin C consumption, a lot of other foods pack more of it than an orange. These include guava, red bell pepper, kale, and broccoli.
Instead of a glass of juice, try eating the whole orange
Juicing fruit tends to remove most of its fiber, the key ingredient that keeps you feeling full and satisfied until your next meal, so drinking a tall glass of OJ can leave you feeling pretty hungry rather quickly.
This is one of the reasons calories from sweetened beverages are often referred to as “empty calories” — the mixture is mostly sugar and water, and low in fiber, fats, and protein, and your body processes it relatively quickly. Consistently indulging in beverages or other foods with a profile like this can increase hunger pangs and mood swings and leave you with low energy levels.
Here’s the nutritional profile for a 12-ounce glass of orange juice:
153 calories
34 grams of carbohydrates
27 grams of sugar
2.4 grams of protein
0.7 grams of fiber
That’s the same amount of carbs as a bag of M&Ms, with just three fewer grams of sugar.
So instead of adding a glass of OJ to your next meal, swap it with a plain old glass of water, and save an actual orange for your next snack.
Tech: Americans are buying lots of orange juice to fight off colds and the flu — but it’s the biggest con of your life
