How orange juice affects our well-being
Fruit: A must for the menu
We should eat 400 grams of fruit and vegetables daily. This is recommended at least by the World Health Organization (WHO). Regular consumption should have a protective effect against cardiovascular and certain cancer diseases. But is orange juice a good fruit supplement for people who fail to consume the recommended amount?
It all depends: If orange juice or other fruit juices are produced without sugar, dyes and preservatives, they can certainly be considered as a fruit supplement. Accordingly, 125 milliliters of fruit juice count as a serving of fruit, claims the Association of the German fruit juice industry e.V. (VdF).
Study: What effect does O-juice have on well-being?
In order to better determine the effect of orange juice, Brazil experts conducted a study of 46 participants, which they published in the magazine "Food & Nutrition Research". Twenty-one normal-weight and twenty-five overweight women and men should drink 750 milliliters of orange juice a day for eight weeks. At baseline and at the end of the study, biomarkers in the subjects' blood were measured and nutrition and body composition recorded.
The result: In both overweight and normal weight participants, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were lowered. What that means? That the risk of a heart attack or stroke is minimized. In addition, the subjects' oxidative stress decreased as antioxidants such as carotenoids, flavanones, and vitamin C scavenge free radicals. The reduced stress in turn has a positive effect on the risk factors of diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Effects on weight
Drinking 750 milliliters of orange juice a day means eating a lot of fructose and calories. Specifically, this beats every day with 340 kilocalories to book. It is amazing, however, that these calories have no effect on the weight. The scientists explained this with the satiating effect of orange juice. Because: O-juice provides nutrients with each sip. The participants ate accordingly less proteins or fats from other sources, so that the energy supply basically remained the same.
