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Antioxidants
Health Benefits of Phytonutrients in Florida Orange Juice
Flavonoids in Florida Orange Juice
- Hesperidin
- Naringenin
- Eriodyctiol
What is Hesperidin?
You may be familiar with flavonoids such as resveratrol in red wine or catechin in green tea, but have you heard about hesperidin? Hesperidin is a compound concentrated in the peels of citrus. Hesperidin has been shown in clinical studies to have antioxidant properties, which help protect the body’s cells against damage caused by free radicals 1,2 Hesperidin and other citrus flavonoids have also been linked with benefits in:The flavonoid hesperidin is highly concentrated in citrus and rarely found in other foods, making orange juice a unique source of this flavonoid.14
Detailed Nutrition Information
Citrus variety, fruit maturity, post-harvest processing techniques, storage conditions, and the location within the fruit (e.g. peels are richer than pulp) affect levels of flavonoids in orange juice.Thus, the amount of flavonoids in a food can vary widely.Orange juice has been reported to contain between 30mg14 and 130mg15 of hesperidin on average in an 8-ounce serving.
The higher pressures used to squeeze oranges during commercial processing of 100% orange juice can dramatically increase the amount of hesperidin and other beneficial phytonutrients released from the peels of the orange.16 Furthermore, 100% orange juice has been shown to have higher available amounts of beneficial flavonoids than whole oranges, homogenized whole oranges,or fresh pressed orange juice.17,18
Get the highest amount of hesperidin from your diet by drinking Florida Orange Juice.
Carotenoids in Orange Juice
Carotenoids are yellow, orange and red pigments found in abundance in citrus and include:
- Beta-carotene
- Alpha-carotene
- Beta-cryptoxanthin
- Lutein
- Zeaxanthin
Carotenoids behave as antioxidants, help our cells communicate with each other, support our immune system, and some studies show they contain properties that protect against certain types of cancer.19 Thousands of studies provide evidence of health benefits attributed to carotenoids including:
- reducing risk of illness19,20
- supporting eye health19,20
- protecting skin from sunburn21,22
- lessening premature aging of the skin23
- reducing risk of many cancers including breast and prostate cancer19,20
- supporting bone health24,25
- increasing breastmilk concentrations of carotenoids and vitamin A26,27
Within citrus are many carotenoids including beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin which can form vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is necessary for normal eyesight, reproduction, growth and development, cell health, gene expression, and immune function.28 Oranges and 100% orange juice are one of the main contributors of beta-cryptoxanthin in the U.S. diet.29
The amount of carotenoids in food can vary widely depending on citrus variety, growing conditions, fruit maturity, processing, storage, and multiple other factors. Eight ounces of 100% orange juice has been reported on average to contain at least:30
- 20-82 mcg of beta-carotene
- 67-419 mcg beta-cryptoxanthin
- 0-285 mcg lutein and zeaxanthin
Commercial orange juice has been shown to have higher release and increased absorbable amounts of carotenoids than whole oranges, homogenized orange fruit, or fresh pressed OJ.17,18 Therefore, consuming 100% orange juice is a great way to access these bioavailable phytonutrients.
*Values based on a 2000 calorie diet. FDA rounding rules applied when calculating percent DV based upon 2018 rules. Information is not intended for labeling food in packaged form. Nutrient values may vary based on brand or product types.- Rangel-Huerta et al. J Nutr. 2015;145(8):1808-1816.
- Milenkovic. PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e26669.
- Morand et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;93:73–80.
- Rendeiro et al. Br J Nutr. 2017;116(12):1999-2010.
- Napoleone et al. Thrombosis Research. 2013;132(2):288-292.
- Kean et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;101(3):506-514.
- Alharbi et al. Eur J Nutr. 2016;55(6):2021-2029.
- Lamport et al. Br J Nutr. 2017;116(12):2160-2168.
- Somerville, Adv Nutr. 2016;7(3):488-497.
- Cerletti et al. Thromb Res. 2015;135:255-259.
- Habauzit et al. Proc An Meeting Am Society Bone Miner Res. San Diego, CA; Sept 16-29, 2011.
- Horcajada et al. J Appl Physiol. 2008; 104:648-654.
- Knekt et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002;76:560-568.
- Bhagwat S, Haytowitz D. USDA Database for the Flavonoid Content of Selected Foods Release 3.2. In. Beltsville, MD: Unites States Department of Agriculture; 2015.
- Phenol-Explorer. Database on the Phenol Content of Food. Version 3.6.
- J Agric Food Chem. 1978;26(6):1459-60.
- Aschoff et al. J Agric Food Chem. 2015;63(2):578-587.
- Bai et al. J Sci Food Agric. 2013;93(11):2771-2781.
- Carotenoids, In: Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids. Institute of Medicine. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC. 2000.
- Linus Pauling Institute. Oregon State University.
- Lee et al. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 2000; 223:170-174.
- Stahl et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012; 96:1179-1184S.
- Terao et al. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2011;48(1):57-62.
- Yamaguchi. J Health Sci. 2008; 54(4):356-369.
- Liang et al. 2012; 17:7093-7102.
- Turner et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013; 98:1200-8.
- Canfield et al. Eur J Nutr. 2001; 40:30-8.
- Vitamin A, In: Dietary Reference Intakes. Institute of Medicine. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC. 2006.
- Murphy et al. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012;112:222-229.
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28 (slightly revised). US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory; May 2016.