Too often, orange juice bears a recurring toll for how convenient it is—or isn’t—for our health. A well-worn debate that centers, as one would expect, on sugar and on whether certain properties of the fruit are lost when it is consumed as a beverage.
Contrary to what is commonly believed, natural, freshly squeezed orange juice does not lose vitamin C simply because it isn’t drank immediately. However, it is a widely held belief that does the natural juice a disservice, since its vitamin C degrades more slowly than we typically assume, lasting for almost a day in perfect condition if it has been stored properly.
Another matter is whether it is the same to drink fresh-squeezed juice as to eat the fruit itself, and, logically, the answer is no. But that does not mean, as nutritionist Ismael Galancho explained on his social media, that natural orange juice is a bad product for our body.
Yes, it is evident that there are certain nuances that are lost compared to the whole orange—such as fiber, which we have discussed frequently in THE OBJECTIVE. It is also true that we will ingest more sugar, even if it comes from the fruit, in a single glass than if we were to eat the three pieces of fruit. Still, he pointed out that “among the most demonized foods are fruit juices.”
The usual critique of fruit juices: too much sugar
Galancho argued in his Instagram post that this demonization is driven by a “glucocentrism.” It would be a product of “disinformation about glucose spikes and the glycemic index.” Not surprisingly, he lamented that many people consider orange juices to be “sugary water.”
Nobody can deny that it would be more convenient to eat the fruit whole. In fact, Galancho himself recalled that “the ideal is to eat the whole fruit,” but that this “does not mean demonizing fruit juices.” He also cited several scientific studies indicating that, contrary to what is believed, fruit juice can have health benefits and is not merely a sugar bomb.
View this post on Instagram
James Whitaker
I’m James Whitaker, a UK-based journalist focused on emerging trends and everyday stories gaining attention across the country. I cover the topics people start talking about before they fully break into the mainstream. My work aims to stay clear, factual, and closely connected to how news is actually consumed today.