Orange juice: calories, composition, benefits, preparation

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Orange juice, which is low in calories, is one of the most common drinks these days. Adults and children drink it, it is an ingredient in the preparation of various dishes and for many it is an integral part of the daily diet. So what exactly is orange juice? Calorie content, composition, benefits and harms, as well as cooking methods - the article will tell about all this.

What is this

This is primarily a product obtained from oranges by squeezing them. There are several types of orange juice: natural and reconstituted. And they have quite a few differences. Natural orange juice is a drink obtained directly from fresh oranges and not subjected to any kind of preservation.

Of course, the shelf life of such juices is much shorter than their canned counterparts and usually does not exceed a few days, butbut the he alth benefits are much higher due to the safety of all those vitamins and minerals that are contained in fresh citrus fruits. Reconstituted juice from oranges is called when it was obtained by diluting a concentrated composition. This species is able to be stored for a long time even at room temperature, as it has undergone a canning process.

Juice preservation - what does it affect?

When it comes to juices, the canning process always goes through the standard heat treatment - pasteurization, so reconstituted store juices are also often called pasteurized. They contain much less useful substances than in a natural product - fresh, but, as it is right, they are cheaper and more accessible to the consumer. Next, we will talk about all the properties of juice, meaning natural orange juice (fresh), since the composition and benefits of canned drinks may differ from each other depending on specific manufacturers.

Orange juice: calories

What is the benefit of this drink for the figure? Is it possible to drink juice every day in liters instead of water and hope to lose weight? Of course not. It must always be remembered that drinks also have a calorie content and are often quite high. Orange juice contains an average of 55 kcal per 100 grams of product. Compared to other juices, this is about the same number of calories as grape or pear juice, but, for example, grapefruit or carrot juice contains only about 30 kcal per 100 grams of product.

As a conclusion: orange juice, the calorie content of which is approximately 55-60 kcal per 100 grams of drink, cannot be used instead of water during the diet. No more than one glass of fresh juice is allowed per day.

Orange chemistry

Now let's talk about such an important item as the composition of orange juice. Every person who watches what he eats tries to study the composition of products before buying them. But we rarely think about the "chemistry" of basic, everyday products. But in vain. Take, for example, orange juice. Its composition is very rich: an almost complete set of vitamins - A, C, B, E, as well as a rather rare vitamin K, a huge amount of minerals - phosphorus, copper, magnesium, zinc, potassium, calcium and iron.

We will talk about the benefits of all these elements a little later. Also in orange juice you can find amino acids that the human body is not able to synthesize on its own, and therefore it is necessary to consume them with food. In addition, orange juice has a fairly high content of pectin.

Useful properties

Thanks to such a rich composition, orange juice has a huge number of useful properties.

Firstly, this amount of macronutrients, in particular magnesium and potassium, gives orange juice the right to be called one of the most effective prophylactic against strokes and heart attacks. It also strengthens blood vessels, which helps prevent a number of diseases. Iron in the composition has a beneficial effect on the condition of people suffering from anemia. Carotene, tocopherol, together with ascorbic acid, are strong antioxidants and excellent helpers in the fight against high blood cholesterol. Thanks to the complex effect of macronutrients on the cells of the body, a rejuvenating effect is achieved. Studies have shown that a glass of orange juice consumed daily is a cancer preventative.

Secondly, this, of course, is the benefit of such an indispensable vitamin as ascorbic acid. With flu and respiratory viral infections, a delicious drink helps to maintain and restore immunity, and in combination with some other products, such as honey or ginger, it can even be an independent medicine. Pectin substances in the composition help to cleanse the intestines and get rid of toxins.

Potential harm

Orange juice has a fairly high biological activity, and therefore, with excessive consumption or the presence of certain diseases and predispositions, it can do harm instead of good. So for whom can this drink be not only not useful, but also dangerous? With caution, it should be used by people who suffer from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, stomach or duodenum. With increased acidity of gastric juice, the use of citrus juices is also not recommended, as they can increase it even more. Content inThe composition of glucose and fructose increases blood sugar and makes the drink harmful for diabetics. If you avoid these contraindications and carefully monitor your he alth, then orange juice will become your indispensable assistant in maintaining daily tone.

Cooking orange juice

When used properly, a glass of natural juice every morning will give you a boost of energy and vivacity for the whole day. It is recommended to make juice just before you want to drink it, as some vitamins react with oxygen over time and are destroyed, which reduces the benefits of juice.

The easiest way to make juice from oranges:

• wash fruit, cut in half, extract juice with manual citrus juicer;
• peel a few fruits from the skin and pass through an electric juicer.

Pure orange juice can be diluted 2:1 with water and sugar to taste, as well as the juice of one lemon. Such a drink will be not only tasty, but also he althy.