Orange juice is a diet ally and fights fat in the liver –

If you are on or have been on a diet, you must have heard the recommendation to cut back on orange juice (or even avoid it). The advice is mainly based on the amount of calories provided by a glass of the drink – on average, 110 kcal. But, according to a Brazilian study recently published in the scientific journal Nutrition, the liquid extracted from the vitamin C-rich fruit does not interfere with the diet – and still contributes many health benefits.

The research was the master’s thesis of nutritionist and doctoral student Carolina Ribeiro, guided by nutritionist Thais Borges César, professor at the Department of Food and Nutrition at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Unesp, in Araraquara (SP), who has been studying orange juice for at least 15 years. Over more than a decade, the teacher saw in research the benefits of juice in the cholesterol controlin the fight against factors associated with the metabolic syndrome and in the reduction of insulin resistance, a process that leads to diabetes.

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Upon noticing the bad reputation of the drink in the media and even in the literature, Thais wanted to carry out an investigation with obese people to show what he had already seen in his work: “that, in addition to not gaining weight, orange juice does not interfere with a weight loss diet” , says the researcher.

That’s when the Brazilian experts recruited 78 adult men and women, aged between 18 and 65 years and BMI greater than 30 and less than 40 kg/m². The volunteers were divided into two teams: the Diet group, which received an eating plan of about 2,000 kcal per day for weight loss; and the Orange Juice group, whose menu had the same energy value as the other group, but included two daily servings (500 ml) of the natural drink, consumed in the morning and afternoon snacks. At these meals, the Diet group was instructed to eat a non-citrus food with a caloric value similar to that of juice – a banana, a portion of yogurt, crackers or sweets…

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Over the course of 12 weeks, the study also investigated intake of nutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, vitamin C and folate; Participants’ body composition and markers such as blood glucose, insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides and liver enzymes were also assessed.

The results showed that, within a reduced-calorie diet, orange juice did not interfere with weight loss. “Both individuals who took and those who did not take the drink lost weight equally”, reports Thais. Both groups eliminated 6 kilos in three months, reducing fat mass by 8% and muscle mass by only 3%. The decrease in waist and hip circumference was also notable – an important factor to rule out cardiovascular diseases.

Advantages of orange juice

The group that included fruit liquid in the diet stood out when it came to reducing levels of glucose, insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL (bad). Another differential of those who drank orange juice was the reduction in liver fat, a common condition in obese people that compromises the functioning of the organ. The tests showed a lower number of liver enzymes, an indication that the inflammation in the liver has improved. “Vitamin C and the flavonoids in orange juice have an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action, bringing benefits to the metabolic condition of organs such as the liver and pancreas”, explains the researcher from Unesp.

Is fruit better than juice?

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Studies and medical entities have already defended that eating the fruit is better than the juice when it comes to the fiber content and even the calorie intake – to make the juice much more oranges are used than when we eat one unit, for example. For Thais César, however, this does not mean that one is better than the other. “Does the sucked orange have more fiber? He has. But when you consume the juice, you ingest more vitamins, minerals and flavonoids, as more fruits are needed to prepare it”, ponders the teacher.

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If your goal is to lose weight, then you don’t need to exclude either one or the other from the menu. “Care should be taken with the total calories. If the fruit and juice are inside it, there will be no problem”, evaluates the nutritionist. Oh! Remember that juice and nectar are different things! “The juice is 100% whole and the nectar is when you add water and sugar”, warns the professor. So, she gives preference to home-made or whole-wheat versions. She reads the label and runs away from those products full of ingredients that are neither diet nor health friendly.

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