A tall glass with breakfast or maybe just a splash in your morning mimosa – orange juice is a staple in many of our morning routines. 

But before we get into the enormous health benefits of orange juice, we have to differentiate the kind of orange juice we are talking about here. Although store-bought brands might save a few bucks, what they win in convenience, they lose in health benefits. 

To extend the shelf life of juice and other spoilable products, producers often pasteurize these items. Pasteurization is the process of quickly heating liquids at high temperatures in order to kill harmful bacteria and reduce foodborne outbreaks. Although this is effective, it, unfortunately, can also kill important nutrients and healthy compounds our bodies thrive on. 

The National Center for Biology Information shared a study that states, “juices produced from frozen orange juice contained considerably smaller amounts of both soluble flavanones and insoluble chalcones,” two of the many healthy nutrients oranges naturally produce. 

This is not an anti-pasteurizing PSA. Once upon a time, I gave myself a nasty case of food poisoning from bad at-home juicing practices – Pasteurization has a purpose. It has shown tremendous value when it comes to reducing foodborne outbreaks and decreasing food insecurity with its ability to extend shelf life. With that said, if you have the option to drink freshly squeezed orange juice, consider these benefits. 

A study from The National Health Institute concluded “chronic daily consumption of flavanone-rich 100% orange juice over 8 weeks is beneficial for cognitive function in healthy older adults.” The study also states that flavanone-rich drinks, like orange juice, could reduce the effect of cognitive decline in aging adults, but more research needs to be done. 

Another study done with middle-aged men showed similar results. “Consumption of FR(flavonoid-rich) orange juice can acutely enhance objective and subjective cognition over the course of 6 hours in healthy middle-aged adults”.

While the health benefits are undeniable, freshly squeezed orange juice is more susceptible to contamination. If you choose to go the at-home juicing route, I advise you to follow the FDA’s guidelines for safe juicing.

Check out my TikTok to see how I juice!