Orange Juice: A Fruit or a Sugar-Sweetened Beverage?

A recent international nutrition symposium concluded that evidence supports classifying 100% fruit juice — including 100% orange juice — as a form of fruit rather than as a sugar-sweetened beverage.

Unlike sugar-sweetened beverages, 100% orange juice contains naturally occurring sugars from the fruit itself, with no added sugar, the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) noted in a summary of the findings. One hundred percent orange juice also includes vitamins, minerals and polyphenols that impact digestion, glycemic response and heart and blood vessel health.

Research presented shows that 100% orange juice contributes towards essential nutrients like vitamin C, folate, potassium and plant compounds. Randomized controlled trials suggest that citrus polyphenols, such as hesperidin in 100% orange juice, may help slow down postprandial blood glucose responses and support vascular function.

The symposium was held in Paris at the International Congress of Nutrition (ICN), a global event of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS). It is held every four years to gather leading researchers, policymakers and health professionals to advance nutrition.

Conclusions from the symposium on 100% fruit juice were reported in January in the Journal of Nutritional Science published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society. The report noted that the inherent sugar content of fruit juice — which cannot contain added sugars, preservatives, colors or flavors by law— has created inconsistencies in public policy. Those inconsistencies result in some dietary guidelines placing fruit juice in the fruit category while others place it alongside sugar-sweetened beverages. The report stated that polarization of opinion about whether fruit juice is a type of processed fruit or a sugar-sweetened beverage has made the interpretation of scientific evidence on fruit juice and health outcomes challenging.

The symposium was sponsored by the Fruit Juice Science Centre, a European organization funded by fruit juice producers and packagers with the aim of commissioning scientific research on the role of 100% fruit juice in diets and health.