People often believe that fresh orange juice is an excellent source of vitamin C, but during the juicing process, the vitamin C in the juice may be lost.
This phenomenon has raised questions about whether orange juice is truly beneficial to health.
Starting with the loss of vitamin C from orange juice:
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is sensitive to heat and light. Therefore, when oranges are squeezed into juice, the vitamin C in them gradually deteriorates due to exposure to oxygen, light, and high temperatures.
Especially when orange juice is exposed to air for longer periods, the loss of vitamin C accelerates. This means that commercially available orange juice, even if it claims to be fresh, may contain less vitamin C than fresh oranges.
Excessive consumption of orange juice can also have negative health impacts. While orange juice contains abundant vitamin C and other nutrients, it also contains a high amount of sugar.
Excessive sugar intake has become a major health concern in modern life, leading to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and more. Additionally, the citric acid in orange juice can erode teeth, leading to demineralization and even cavities with long-term heavy consumption.
Orange juice may also present other potential health issues.
Commercially available orange juice often contains preservatives, artificial colors, and sweeteners, which are not beneficial to the body.
Prolonged consumption of orange juice with high levels of these additives may burden the liver and kidneys and even trigger allergic reactions. Furthermore, some people choose orange juice with pulp, but the pulp may contain residues of pesticides or other chemicals, which is also unhealthy.
Therefore, while orange juice as a beverage can provide vitamin C and other nutrients, moderation is key. Freshly squeezed orange juice may contain more vitamin C, but it should be consumed promptly to avoid excessive loss of vitamin C. In daily life, a diverse selection of beverages is more important, and reliance on any one beverage should be avoided.
For those who enjoy drinking orange juice, here are some suggestions: opt for freshly squeezed juice to ensure freshness and vitamin C content; consider diluting orange juice in moderation to reduce sugar intake and prolong the stability of vitamin C; try to avoid purchasing commercially available orange juice with many additives, especially those that have been on the shelves for a long time.
On the foundation of a balanced diet, orange juice can be a good choice for supplementing nutrition. However, it is important to avoid falling into the trap of "overly healthy" consumption patterns, where one blindly pursues the nutritional value of a particular beverage or food. Variety, moderation, and freshness are the keys to maintaining a healthy diet.
