Orange Juice is Healthier Than We Thought

If you think you're getting the most antioxidants from specialty smoothies and other drinks, think again. Orange juice may be the unappreciated health boost to your morning routine, generating an antioxidant value 10 times higher than what dieticians previously believed.

It has actually long been known that aside from being an excellent source of vitamin C, orange juice and other natural citrus drinks can be a powerful source of antioxidants, which help to reduce harmful free radicals in our body. However, most health experts thought that the morning drink paled in comparison to things like pomegranates, blueberries, and cranberries.

However, a new technique developed by researchers from the University of Granada that can measure this property has revealed that orange juice has been gravely underestimated as an antioxidant source.

"The problem is that the antioxidant activity of the solid fraction (the fibre) isn't measured, as it's assumed that it isn't beneficial. However, this insoluble fraction arrives at the large intestine and the intestinal microbiota can also ferment it and extract even more antioxidant substances," José Ángel Rufián Henares, at the University of Granada, explained in a release.

Rufián Henares added that the new technique he and his colleagues developed can properly asses this unconsidered aspect, allowing dieticians and health authorities to better establish the antioxidant capacity of foods.

According to a study recently published in the journal Food Chemistry, the new method, called global antioxidant response (GAR), includes assessments of various physical and chemical tells, such as color, fluorescence and the relationship between analyzed concentrations and compound indicators.

"The antioxidant activity [for citruses] is, on average, 10 times higher than that which everyone thought up until now," Rufián Henares noted.

This means that your morning orange juice is even more essential for good health, and certainly should not be shirked for a simple coffee.

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