Harvard study reveals the best way to consume oranges

Fruit juice provides vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols in an accessible form and is a convenient and popular way to consume fruit, according to the medical news site Medical News Today.

However, many people are concerned about the sugar content in fruit juice. You may not expect that a 250 ml glass of orange juice contains up to 22 grams of sugar, equivalent to nearly 5 teaspoons of sugar. And studies have scientists concerned because this convenient way of consuming oranges can cause unhealthy weight gain.

Nghiên cứu Harvard chỉ ra cách tốt nhất để tiêu thụ trái cam- Ảnh 1. — New research has found that drinking a lot of orange juice can cause weight gain.

To find out whether fruit juice causes weight gain, scientists from Harvard Medical School (USA) and the University of Toronto (Canada) reviewed 42 studies on the effects of drinking pure fruit juice daily.

In all studies analyzed, participants consumed at least one glass (240 ml) of 100% fruit juice per day.

Studies have looked at a variety of fruit juices, including pomegranate, berry, cherry, apple, orange and grape juices, and compared them to a standard diet, water only or low-calorie beverages.

Results have found that drinking fruit juice daily causes weight gain, especially in young children.

People are following a popular emerging trend of drinking juices from fruits known as "superfoods," says Kelsey Costa, a nutritionist and national spokesperson for Dietitian Insights, a nutrition consulting firm in the US.

While juices like pomegranate, berry and cherry tend to help with weight loss, juices like apple, orange and grape tend to contribute to weight gain, Costa adds, warning: Even with “superfood juices,” however, research shows that moderation is key.

The Best Ways to Consume Oranges and Other Fruits

Nghiên cứu Harvard chỉ ra cách tốt nhất để tiêu thụ trái cam- Ảnh 2. — It is best to eat whole oranges instead of drinking juice.

Co-author and leading nutrition researcher Walter Willett, PhD, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, explains: The fundamental problem with fruit juice is quantity; consuming fruit by drinking juice makes it easy to overdose.

For example, we rarely eat 3 oranges at once. But a glass of orange juice equivalent to 3 oranges can be finished in 1-2 minutes, and then we can drink another glass, which will add a lot of calories and lead to a spike in blood sugar, according to CNN news agency.

Over time, too much sugar in the blood can lead to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and other chronic conditions, experts explain.

Therefore, Costa advises that to ensure you get the essential nutrients from fruit, it is best to eat whole oranges instead of drinking juice, and the same goes for other fruits, according to Medical News Today.

Nutritionists say whole fruits provide more vitamins and minerals, along with fiber and beneficial bacteria, which are essential for gut health.

Juices contain less fiber than whole fruit, explains Costa. Fiber slows down the absorption of sugar, while juices without fiber cause the liver to absorb fructose quickly.

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