Orange juice is a good drink rich in vitamin C, thanks to the many qualities of the fruit. Simple to prepare, many young and old like it. But let’s see how to prepare and store the juice, when to drink it and what properties it possesses.
What is orange juice?
The juice, in addition to being thirst-quenching, offers a concentrate of well-being. It has many properties: from improving the immune system to reducing the signs of aging, from cancer prevention to detoxifying the body.
A large number of health benefits can be attributed to the nutrients it contains vitamin C, vitamin A, thiamine, folic acid, potassium, fiber, protein, copper, magnesium, flavonoids, and hesperidin.
When to drink a juice
The oranges are a winter fruit, so you should drink fresh orange juice in the period up to March, then the fruit starts to be dry and does not produce enough juice.
The juice must be drunk immediately after preparation. Alternatively, you can take packaged products that are on the market.
Drinking a freshly squeezed juice every day can be a good habit for a healthy body to naturally take vitamin C. Being this highly volatile – that is, it tends to be dispersed in the air – it is advisable to prepare the juice and drink it immediately to enjoy all the properties nutrients of the fruit.
If left to rest, the juice will lose the quantity of vitamins present: within 12 hours, it will be devoid of them.
Freshly squeezed for breakfast
The breakfast of dreams for many of us consists of espresso, hot croissants, and freshly squeezed orange juice.
In reality, the combination of coffee and juice is not recommended because the body is found to assimilate together caffeine and ascorbic acid, and in reality, the caffeine contained in coffee inhibits the absorption capacity of vitamin C and A as well minerals.
Freshly squeezed orange juice, how to prepare it
How do you prepare juice? They squeeze with a juicer hand or electric while they are not shown the blender or the centrifuge.
It is a ritual now in common use, which does not even need explanations: just take two beautiful and juicy oranges, open them in half and squeeze. It is also performed at the bar, with slightly more expensive machines that do everything by themselves, it is enough to introduce only the whole fruit.
There are more suitable oranges and others less juicy: the best ones to squeeze have the thinnest peel.
Orange naturally contains sugar, so it is not necessary to sweeten.
Bitter oranges
Unlike the sweet variety, the bitter orange juice is less appreciated by children, but it is appreciated by adults, above all because it is very thirst-quenching. The bitter fruit comes from the Citrus x Aurantium tree, also of the citrus family, but seems to derive from a hybrid between pomelo and mandarin.
This variety is widely used in the preparation of food products, such as jams and liqueurs, and in sweet and sour dishes as a condiment to accompany white meat.
How is it preserved?
The freshly squeezed orange juice should be drunk within a few minutes so that it can give all the vitamins it contains. As time passes, the vitamin is dispersed.
If you prepare it in the evening and drink it in the morning, it is advisable to put it in the fridge, seal it tightly and shake it before taking it. After 12 hours, its vitamin content will be almost zero.
Freeze the juice
Some foods, if prepared and frozen, do not lose their beneficial properties but can also improve them: it seems that, for example, the antioxidant properties of orange juice after freezing are absorbed even better by our body.
In practice, the beneficial substances – albeit in smaller quantities in the defrosted beverage – during the freezing and thawing process would break down into smaller particles, and this makes them easily absorbed by the human body.
Orange juice: nutritional values
The juice of fresh oranges boasts a high content of vitamin C with antiscorbutic, diuretic, and purifying values.
Orange is also rich in flavonoids that strengthen the immune system and protect against free radicals that cause skin and bones to age.
In 100 grams of orange, we find:
- 8 grams of carbohydrates
- 1.6 grams of fiber
- 0.7 grams of protein
- very little fat
Calories
Generally, fruit juice contains several calories, while juice has a few: 44 kcal per 100 grams of fruit. It is therefore recommended in low-calorie diets.
Freshly squeezed orange juice: DIY recipes
To prepare a good juice, the fruit must be good and juicy. Nothing else is needed. However, we give you some tips to create juices and greedy juices with many beneficial properties.
Hot squeezed juice with ginger and honey
The juice orange with the addition of cinnamon and ginger is an excellent remedy for digestion, relaxing, promotes sleep, and should be served hot.
Ingredients:
- 350 ml of water
- juice of 1 orange
- orange zest
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 clove
- fresh ginger
- honey
Preparation: Wash the orange and take the zest, trying to eliminate all the white parts. Squeeze the orange and put cold water, zest, clove, cinnamon, and a piece of ginger in a saucepan. Put on the fire and bring to a boil. Turn off to leave for a few minutes. Add to the juice and drink lukewarm.
Freshly squeezed orange juice with carrots and lemon
The juice of oranges, carrots, and lemon is a concentrate of antioxidants. Very popular drink especially among industrial products that are on the market. It is a recipe that can also be proposed at home, especially if you are equipped with a centrifuge or electric extractor.
The drink, so-called ACE, is genuinely rich in vitamin C possessed by oranges and lemons, in beta-carotene in carrots along with B vitamins, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron.
Orange juice: benefits
Fresh orange juice is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, and for this reason, it counteracts the signs of skin and skin aging and at the same time has recognized properties in fighting flu, sore throat. There are many benefits that the orange brings to our body inside and out.
- Improves the skin, thanks to the high content of vitamin C and anthocyanosides, with high antioxidant power
- Prevents damage caused by free radicals to the cardiovascular system. Thanks to hesperidin and naringenin that fight free radicals: in particular, hesperidin would be able to lower blood pressure and reduce hypertension by improving the elasticity of blood vessels.
- It reduces the symptoms of flu, thanks to the high content of vitamin C, which increases the immune defenses and helps the resolution of flu states. It reduces allergies, breathing problems, and coughs.
- Help improve problems caused by indigestion and stabilize intestinal functions.
Juice and diabetes
Orange juice is recommended for patients who have diabetes, as citrus fruits contain little sugar and have a high diuretic capacity.
Drinking orange juice for a diabetic means naturally regulating blood sugar levels.
Furthermore, the high content of vitamin C protects those suffering from type C diabetes from possible infections and vision problems.
Juice and weight loss diet
Reduce the accumulation of adipose tissue, thanks to an element contained in blood oranges, anthocyanins: it is advisable to drink a juice every day for three months in the middle of the morning to help the effects of the weight loss diet.
Juice for liver and bile
Orange juice, taken as the only food between meals, can be of great help to the liver, as it has the ability to avoid indigestion, bloating, and fermentation of foods.
Taking juices helps to produce more bile and is therefore indicated in cases of biliary insufficiency.
Juice and gout or arthritis
The uric acid that is deposited in the joints causes arthritis and gout: both annoying. Freshly squeezed orange juice helps reduce uric acid levels by staving off the risks of gout and arthritis.
Orange juice against aging
The vitamin C contained in the juice has many antioxidant properties by reducing free radicals that cause aging both from an aesthetic point of view (skin and hair) and internal to the body. Drinking orange juice can therefore be an excellent method to prevent or reduce some problems that are accused with age. In fact, it reduces the risk of:
- Arteriosclerosis thanks to the antioxidant and antiplatelet properties that improve circulation, preventing the formation of blood clots in the arteries.
- Hypertension while maintaining good blood pressure
- Loss of vision, vitamin C is a valuable aid to prevent vision loss and cataracts
- Cancer Recent research shows that high vitamin C intake helps reduce the chances of some cancers
Squeezed oranges: contraindications
Orange juice can have contraindications since it is a highly acidic drink. It is not recommended in the case of gastric pathologies and stomach inflammations.
It is not recommended to take juices in the evening, as it can lead to stomach acid or reflux.
Do not drink juice in association with milk: the citric acid contained in citrus juice causes milk proteins to clot in the stomach, causing bloating and heavy digestion.
The ideal is to drink a nice fresh juice in the middle of the morning as a snack or in the afternoon, away from other meals in order to fully enjoy all its benefits.