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New Research Finds Drinking 100 Percent Orange Juice is Linked to Better Overall Diets

PR Newswire – April 11, 2011

BARTOW, Fla., April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Orange juice may do more for your diet and overall health than you may think, according to seven new studies presented this week at Experimental Biology (EB) 2011.

A new study suggests that 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. (1) Additionally, the research suggests that children who drink 100 percent orange juice also have better overall diet quality and higher intake of key nutrients.

As part of the study, researchers analyzed data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and found that both adults and children who consume 100 percent orange juice tend 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, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium and potassium than those who don’t consume 100 percent orange juice.

“A growing body of research has painted a clear picture that enhanced nutrient intake and better diet quality is associated with drinking 100 percent orange juice in both adults and children,” said study co-author Carol E. O’Neil, PhD, MPH, LDN, RD, School of Human Ecology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. “Our research helps to demonstrate that drinking 100 percent orange juice is associated with higher intake of four important nutrients, vitamin C, folate, magnesium and potassium, which are generally underconsumed by the U.S. population.” (2)

One Hundred Percent Orange Juice Consumption also Linked to Lower Body Mass Index (BMI)

The study also found that consumption of 100 percent orange juice was associated with a 16 percent reduction in the risk of adults being overweight or obese. The results were even more striking among females, where orange juice consumption was associated with a 27 percent reduction in the risk of being overweight or obese.

Furthermore, this study suggests that people ages two and older who drink 100 percent orange juice tend to have better diet quality, as well as BMIs that are comparable to or lower than those who don’t drink orange juice. Notably, the researchers found no significant difference in the risk of being overweight or obese among children who consume 100 percent orange juice compared to those who don’t.

“These findings are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, which conclude that ‘for most children and adolescents, intake of 100 percent fruit juice is not associated with body weight,’” (2) said Gail Rampersaud, MS, RD, LDN, Assistant in Nutrition Research and Education, University of Florida. “It’s encouraging that the overall body of research provides evidence to help refute a common misperception that may be preventing people from enjoying all of the taste, nutritional and health benefits that 100 percent orange juice offers.”

More Evidence for the Benefits of Drinking 100 Percent Orange Juice

Six additional studies presented at EB 2011 further support the role of 100 percent orange juice in a healthy diet:

One study of NHANES data suggests that people (ages four and older) who consume 100 percent orange juice tend to have significantly higher daily intakes of several important nutrients including magnesium, iron, calcium, folate, thiamin, vitamin B6, carotenoids, vitamin C and vitamin D as compared to people who don’t drink 100 percent orange juice. Further, the study suggests that removing orange juice from the list of items consumed tended to negate these relationships. (3)
Results of a third NHANES study suggest that adults who consume 100 percent orange juice also tend to have significantly lower BMI, waist circumferences and body fat percentages as compared to those who don’t drink orange juice. (4)
A research review concluded that intake of 100 percent citrus juices, such as orange and grapefruit, may be associated with a significantly reduced risk of digestive and respiratory cancers, as well as significant improvements in blood pressure and bone health. (5)
Results of a NHANES study of children’s and adolescents’ beverage choices suggest that children who consume 100 percent juice are more likely to consume diets that comply with MyPyramid recommendations for limiting added sugars than those who consume soft drinks and flavored milk. (6)
A study of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in overweight and obese adults found that those who drank three 8-ounce servings of calcium- and vitamin D-fortified orange juice daily tended to be more likely to experience a significant reduction in visceral fat, the fat surrounding abdominal organs. (7)
A clinical study with men that included four weeks of daily consumption of about 2 cups of 100 percent orange juice, reported beneficial results on cardiovascular factors, including reduced diastolic blood pressure and improved vascular function. Supporting research suggests that orange juice and hesperidin, the major flavonoid in orange juice, may directly affect genes associated with biological functions that help support cardiovascular health. In addition, adding this amount of orange juice to their daily diet had no negative impact on the men’s body weight. (8)

Relation to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, the “total diet” should consist of nutrient-dense foods that provide essential nutrients and health benefits.

“People can feel good about enjoying 100 percent orange juice daily because it fits many of the key recommendations outlined in the Dietary Guidelines,” said Rampersaud. “For example, one serving of 100 percent orange juice is more nutrient-dense than many commonly-consumed 100 percent fruit juices, and it’s a good source of potassium and folate as well as an excellent source of vitamin C, three nutrients that are underconsumed in the United States.” (2,9)

Editor’s Note: Abstract #A302 783.3 was supported by the Florida Department of Citrus and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Throughout the study, the researchers maintained independent control over the analysis. Abstracts #28.5 and #28.6 were supported by PepsiCo, #302 604.1 was supported by the Juice Products Association, #28.1 was supported by the Agricultural Research Service, USDA and #223.5 was supported by the Coca-Cola Company.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is an ongoing series of surveys, implemented by the Centers for Disease Control, that are designed to assess the health and nutritional status of children and adults in the United States. The NHANES surveys are conducted and analyzed in a way to be representative of the U.S. population. The analysis presented at Experimental Biology 2011 utilized 2003-2006 data from more than 6,000 children and more than 8,000 adults.

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