Summers and any other time when the sun is hot might be a temptation to drink as much orange juice as you can lay your hands on. While it is nutritious, too much orange juice can be harmful to your body.
The question of how much orange juice is too much is answered herein. The article also highlights the potential risks of high consumption of orange juice.
In this post:
How Much Orange Juice is too Much?
For children below 6 years, any consumption of 100% orange juice above 6 ounces per day is too much. For children above 7 years and adults, any consumption of more than 8 ounces of 100% orange juice daily is too much.
If you adhere to the daily consumption recommendations, you will be able to reap immense nutritional benefits that come with orange juice. However, if you continuously exceed this daily recommendation, you might be walking a thin line with your health.
Nutritional Value of Orange Juice
One serving of 100% orange juice (half a cup/ 4 oz.) provides an array of essential vitamins including Vitamins C, B-complex, and A. It also has minerals such as iron, magnesium, calcium, copper, and potassium.
In the same one serving is about 0.2 grams of fiber which is great for digestion, 56 calories, 12.9 grams of carbohydrates, 10.4 grams of sugars, and lastly, about 0.9 grams of protein.
In addition, it packs a substantial number of antioxidants such as carotenoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants act to counter the effects of free radicals that enter the body from our environment through sources such as the sun’s rays.
Potential Risks of Orange Juice
Photo: citrusindustry.net
1. Weight Gain
Orange juice, like any other 100% fruit juice tends to increase appetite. This means that people who take more orange juice tend to eat more than those who do not. They consume more carbs, protein, and even dairy products.
Furthermore, orange juice in itself contains a high sugar content of 10.4g per half cup and this is beside the high calories it contains. This poses a risk of adding more weight to the body and even obesity, especially if regular exercises are not done.
2. Risk of Diabetes and High Blood Pressure
Just like soft drinks that are artificially sweetened, orange juice with its high sugar levels poses a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Although there are many causes of the disease, it is sometimes a direct result of weight gain.
Therein also lies a risk of high blood pressure especially if the person becomes obese and their blood vessels constrict. This further poses a cardiovascular risk which involves declining heart health.
3. Bad for Oral Health
The high sugar content in orange juice is harmful to your teeth. It also causes an increase in bacterial action in your mouth which may cause bad breath.
Further, orange juice like every other citrus fruit juice is acidic which has a high risk of tooth enamel damage. The acid also tends to make other oral conditions such as mouth sores and cold sores worse.
4. Risk of Hyperkalemia
This is due to too much potassium in the body and most cases are caused by an impaired renal system.
However, according to research by acutecaretesting.org, a short period of excessive orange juice consumption (2.5 liters orange juice every day for 3 consecutive weeks) can lead to hyperkalemia even if you don’t have kidney failure.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you will want to maintain your daily orange juice consumption to not more than 8 ounces for adults and between 4 and 6 ounces. This will provide you with carbohydrates, vitamins, and antioxidants.
You should avoid too much orange juice consumption because it may cause weight gain, put you at a risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. It is also bad for your oral health due to high sugar and acid content.
References
- Crucial Learnings from the Latest Research on Fruit, Fruit Juice and Sugars – AIJN – European Fruit Juice Association
- Side Effects of Too Much Orange Juice – Livestrong
- Florida Orange Juice Serving Size – Florida Department of Citrus