Data from a recent study published in Nutrition Journal suggests adults who drink 100 percent orange juice tend to have better overall diet quality, higher intake of key nutrients and less risk of being overweight than adults who don't drink orange juice.
As part of the study, researchers analyzed data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and reported that adults age 19 years and older who consumed 100 percent orange juice tended to have significantly better Healthy Eating Index scores (a measure of diet quality that assesses conformance to federal dietary guidance) as well as greater intake of several key nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, folate and vitamin A, than those who didn't consume 100 percent orange juice.
"A growing body of research has painted a clear picture that enhanced nutrient intake and better diet quality appears to be associated with drinking 100 percent orange juice in adults," said study co-author Carol E. O'Neil, PhD, MPH, LDN, RD, School of Human Ecology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, in a prepared statement. "Our research helps to demonstrate that drinking 100 percent orange juice is associated with higher intake of four important nutrients: vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and folate, which are generally underconsumed by the U.S. population."
Orange Juice Linked To Lower Body Mass Index (BMI)
The study also reported that compared to non-consumers, consumption of 100 percent orange juice was associated with a lower mean body mass index (BMI) and a 21 percent reduction in the risk of obesity in men and women. In addition, male consumers of 100 percent orange juice had a 36 percent reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions—including increased blood pressure, elevated blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels — that occur together, increasing risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
