Sugar in Orange Juice: Here's What to Know

Orange juice is such a breakfast beverage staple, but have you seen the amount of sugar contained in one single 8 oz. glass?

It’s no surprise than any fruit juice would be higher in sugar. That sweet, refreshing drink is delicious to our taste buds. Sugar aside, fruit comes with many important vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that are beneficial to our body.

But not the sugar. Sugar is not a healthy substance and it’s very easy to overdo it since you can find sugar in a variety of things we consume throughout the day. Sugar has been linked to a higher risk for heart disease and diabetes, increases inflammatory levels in the body, lowers the immune system, and potentially can impair liver health (increases risk for fatty liver disease.)

The recommended daily amount of sugar (according to the American Heart Association) for men is 36 grams (9 teaspoons) and women 24 grams (8 teaspoons). So as you can see by consumer an 8 ounce glass of orange juice in the morning, we have almost reached our FOR THE DAY MAX of sugar intake to stay within healthy limits. Not to mention what you ate for breakfast, that latte you just drank, and the banana you ate in your car driving to work.

Sugar is an underrated health issue. It’s the driver to metabolic disease. So what can we do about it? Skip the OJ?

While I will never tell you what exactly is right for you (I love a glass of OJ myself some days), what I will suggest is to arm yourself with the information so you can make the best health decisions.

Here are two tips to apply this info practically to benefit your health (I like practical living, don’t you?):

- Cut your OJ serving in half and fill the rest with water, thus cutting your sugar intake in half.

-Consume OJ after eating a savory breakfast to minimize the impact on your glucose levels. Eat your protein or healthy fast first, then have a sip.