Why?
What is the risk to me? That is what I don’t understand.
There is a reason they tell you to give a diabetic orange juice if they are going into insulin shock. The sugar content of OJ hits the bloodstream VERY quickly, and your body responds to it in kind. If you’re healthy it shouldn’t hurt you once in a while, but the habit of dumping a lot of sugar into your system every morning is not a healthy habit to develop. Link:
It is better to eat simple sugars along with fat, protein or fiber to slow down the digestive process and keep blood sugar from spiking too high. Thus, eating a whole piece of fruit with a slice of toast or oatmeal is better for you than a glass of orange juice on its own.
Well, I guess I might as well curtail my orange juice intake. At this rate, my only vices left will be sex, sloth, and coffee.
I work at a bar with an old-school hand-cranked juicer (for fresh squeezed screwdrivers) and I’ll be damned if I give up my daily work beverage…
The juice of 1 or 2 oranges (depending on season–they are less juicy in winter) squeezed over ice, then topped with carbonated water. Fizzy yummy refreshment. (If they’re not sweet at all, which happens, I add a splash of Sprite.)
Orange juice contains antioxidants, folic acid, and lots of vitamin C. I don’t like commercial orange juice at all; it isn’t even the same color as fresh-squeezed, and it’s a lot more bitter/acidic. IMHO it bears very little resemblance to the real thing. Like comparing homemade bread to ButterKrust.
If I were the OP I’d get an inexpensive juicer and squeeze my own OJ. It isn’t pasteurized or from concentrate, it tastes a million times better, and what’s better for you than a moderate amount of fresh fruit juice? It’s not like the OP is guzzling it like a dying man in a desert; he could handle a regular Coke health-wise, which has zero health benefits, so surely he can handle some vitamin C, folic acid, and antioxidants? Even gasp WITH the sugar it contains?
Sure, he can handle it. Except that he was asking what the healthiest juice was, to which the answer is pretty conclusively; none of them.
The fact that it might contain some vitamin C and folic acid is completely irrelevant as nobody’s deficient in these nutrients and the human body cannot store them in any appreciable amount.
Oh, OK. I wasn’t aware that fruits (and their juices) were not remotely healthy. I had no idea that nobody is deficient in these nutrients, and therefore there’s no point in even bothering. Might as well have a diet cola.
I didn’t see a “pretty conclusive” answer but I’m happy that you did, and you set me straight.
There are numerous threads that have discussed the (lack of) nutritional merit to fruit juice in extensive detail. Admittedly I may have come across a little strong in the previous post, for that I apologize.
However, drinking orange juice for its nutrients is a bit like drinking gin and tonics to treat malaria, when you don’t have malaria.
Right, almost no one in the US is vitamin C deficient these days. He should be eating the fruit instead so he can get the fiber and anything else that might be left behind when juicing, and fill up on the bulk of the food taken in. Juice is a easy way to get a lot of calories and a tiny bit of nutrition, without much to fill you up.
I have either grapefruit juice (less sugar) or V8 vegetable/tomato mix. They’re both strong flavours and go well with 4 - 5 parts chilled water.
A longstanding diet high in sugar is associated with an increased risk for obesity, which puts a person at greater risk for multiple diseases.
I guess what it comes down to is that drinking 6 oz of juice is preferable to an equal quantity of vodka when it comes to breakfast. If that’s your “sweet treat” for the day and otherwise you stay away from sugar and empty calories and, as Qadgop mentioned, your weight is stable and you don’t have medical issues, well, there are worse things to worry about – but juice is not some magic elixir, and not as good as eating your fruit and drinking water.
I started drinking my cranberry juice as a way to avoid caffeine after 4 pm. There’s benefit in that (and since I sweeten my tea the sugar is there either way). I’m gradually drinking more water and less other stuff, but it’s a process to change long standing habits.
I’m with Broomstick. Nobody is ganging up on juice as TEH EVIL!!!11 But if you really want to add something to your diet to improve your overall health, starting each day with a tall glass of water is more beneficial than a small glass of juice.
Oh, I agree. It’s not evil. It’s just not sunshine and rainbows. Parents who cut down on soda for kids tend to compensate (or overcompensate) with fruit juice and that leads to weight gain too. Everyone thinks it’s sooooo wonderful and a Health Food. It’s like the fat-free snacks explosion where people gobbled them down and still gained weight - because they have calories. Juice isn’t awful, but not drinking your calories is better.
I enjoy something very much like this, with a nice shot of vodka. That definitely makes it morning-y!
Totally off-topic, but I worked with a girl who said she hated all sources of vitamin C. Tomatoes, citrus fruits, bell peppers, cranberries - her fruit and veg intake was mainly in the form of apples and bananas. She said it was not problem; every so often she noticed her teeth would start to feel a bit loose, and she would take a supplement. :smack: I told her people in the developed world are not supposed to get scurvy anymore. I’ve also heard of college freshmen getting scurvy, and I’m surprised that my roommate who lives on cereal and milk hasn’t already succumbed… But other than those people, no, I don’t think it’s a common deficiency.
I understand now and agree that switching one part soda to one part fruit juice in ones diet has little if any benefit. The OP has been satisfactorily answered and I appreciate your input.
That didn’t answer my second question: What is the risk to me? I can’t see that I have any risk of obesity. My BMI is 20.5. I couldn’t gain weight if I wanted to. I almost never eat dessert or sweets and other than that morning glass of OJ, I drink water all day.
Is there honestly any risk in a risk/reward calculation for me?
Wait, fruit juice is bad for you? Good galloping Christ, my reality is falling apart!
I certainly can’t perform one without interviewing and examining you. All I can do here is point out risks for the population as a whole.
I also have high metabolism. I’ve been trying to gain 10 pounds in the last 2 years and haven’t been able to do it.
I quit sugar to optimize my energy levels and brain functioning. Human digestive systems are not designed to handle a massive influx of glucose (sugar).
Also in the book “Sugar Shock”, it mentions growing evidence that cancer and other ailments can be traced back to mismanaging your glucose levels.
Sugar is bad in just about every way. Bad for obesity, energy levels, cognitive functioning, tooth decay. To add insult to injury, it also distorts the taste buds to reject healthier foods such as vegetables. (I also avoid artificial sweeteners because they also cause health issues.)
Is just one glass of orange juice going to kill you? No. Everybody has to balance the positives (a cold sweet treat) vs the negatives (suboptimal human functioning).
I grew up in Florida and I know that good fresh squeezed OJ tastes great. I used to drink it every day. However, for me, my desire for peak performance outweighs the desire for any fruit drink.