Growth of oranges can be dated back to almost 4000 years ago in China and Southeast Asia. Going by the account of the historians, in the next 500 years, oranges can be located in Middle East and Africa as well. Eventually, as the Arabs occupied Spain around AD 700 to 1400, this delicious fruit was further introduced in Europe. The New World savored the taste of this fruit during the 15th and 16th centuries as explorers bought it with them and by 1800s, a burgeoning industry of oranges could be found in Florida.

By the 1890s, as the nutritional benefits of oranges became known to people, including its high Vitamin C concentration, orange juice and oranges grew in popularity tremendously. Another important reason that contributed to the popularity of oranges at that time was their Vitamin C content, which is effective in evading scurvy, an alarming disease during that time.

The commercial industry of orange juice came into being during the 1920s and enhanced the consumption of orange juice manifolds, especially with the improvement in the new processes of canning and pasteurization techniques. After that orange juice started tasting better than ever before and was considered a safe drink.

During the last phase of World War II was introduced the frozen concentrate orange juices, and they continued to rule the markets as the best-selling juice for the next four decades. Fame enjoyed by this orange juice spurred immense growth of orange industry in Florida.

It was during the mid-1980s when frozen variety lost some of its market share to ready-to-drink juices. At present, over 75% of population in North America is fond of drinking RTD varieties only and only 25% of North Americans continue to remain loyal to the frozen concentrate orange juices.

Primarily there three orange juice types that are easily available in U.S. and Canadian supermarkets:

• Frozen concentrate: These are found in the freezer case of grocery stores. The orange liquid is made available in the concentrated form and you need to put in cold water and stir it, so as to melt and dissolve this concentrate.
• Reconstituted liquid: This is the second most popular orange juice. Though it is concentrated first, it is diluted before sale. This juice is also known as ready-to-drink juice and does not require any preparation.
• Not from concentrate: This kind of juice is never concentrated and is also called “single strength” juice. This is the most popular orange juice variety nowadays and is also a ready-to-drink juice.

Now that you know the history of orange juice and are now aware of different varieties in which they are available, you are sure to get the best orange juice for yourself from now on.

• Orange juice contains Vitamin C in high content that helps to boost immune system. As a result, you will seldom fall victim to illnesses like colds or flu.
• Many medical studies have proven the orange juice health benefit to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which are two of the most common problems faced during middle age.
• With many antioxidants in orange juice, it helps to evade several types of cancer, such as prostate cancer and breast cancer. Presence of antioxidants also suggests that orange juice may have a little benefit in weight loss as well. However, drinking it only for weight loss may not be appropriate, as there is no surety about its effectiveness for weight loss.
• Potassium is found in large amount in orange juice, which is a good thing because that is an important body nutrient.
• Possibility of heart diseases can be prevented with regular consumption of orange juice as it helps to improve circulation.
• Folate, present in the orange juice, plays an important role in reproduction of the new cells that further aids in the process of healing.
• Anti-inflammatory properties of orange juice make it a great pain reliever for arthritis patients.
• Kidney stones recurrence can best be cured by regularly drinking orange juice.

With so many orange juice health benefits, it definitely makes sense to have it for breakfast every day. However, it is better to avoid it if you have upset stomach as it is acidic in nature and may worsen your condition even more. Also, one thing that you must be cautious about while drinking orange juice is that it can cause tooth decay. But this must not dissuade you from enjoying it; you can simply rinse well after drinking the juice and stay happy to have consumed a healthy yet tasty food.

Now what are you waiting for? Get started with your everyday diet and see your energy levels shoot up. Enhanced metabolism, less fatigue, and reduced dehydration are a few more pluses that add to the credibility of orange juice.

Vitamin C also plays a crucial role in collagen production, iron absorption, formation of the red blood cells, free radical annihilation, wound healing, boosting immunity, and keeping gums and teeth healthy. To put in a nutshell, Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid, an essential micro-nutrient that is necessary to maintain good health.

Unfortunately, our body is not capable of manufacturing Vitamin C on its own and also fails to store it. Hence, it is essential for us to satisfy our body’s requirement for Vitamin C through our diet on an everyday basis. Orange juice is among the best sources for Vitamin C. It is best to make it at home by squeezing oranges in a juicer. However, for the sake of convenience, some people prefer to go for industrialized varieties.

It would be interesting for you to know that orange juice vitamin C concentration is greatly affected by many parameters, such as the level of orange ripening, source of the juice (fresh fruit, frozen concentrate, canned juices, or other forms), climatic conditions during which oranges have grown, method of processing, kind of storage container, storage and handling conditions, et cetera.

Concentration of orange juice Vitamin C also varies among the different commercial preparations. So, whenever you select orange juice, you must consider the given factors that may affect its Vitamin C content:

• Being free from any preservatives, pure and unprocessed, freshly squeezed orange juice is a better option than any of the supreme varieties of commercial orange juice. Though you must note that Vitamin C is very sensitive to oxygen, light, and heat. So, exposure of orange juice to air can reduce the content of Vitamin C in any orange juice at the pace of 2% each day.
• The most preferable of the commercial orange juice varieties are the frozen concentrated juices, which contains the maximum content of Vitamin C, while the least preferred ones are canned juices.

Vitamin C degradation in fruit juice can be prevented if you consume it within seven days after opening the container, or by storing it in the refrigerator. Freezing oranges will retain their Vitamin C content, while air exposure gradually erodes it.

Fresh orange juice consists of essential nutrients and vitamins. One serving has more than 100% of the daily value of Vitamin C needed by our bodies. However, if you take industrialized orange drinks that contain artificial sweeteners, thinking that the benefit is the same as a natural freshly squeezed fruit juice, you are in for a big surprise. Such juices are usually high in calories and stand no comparison to freshly squeezed orange juice.

100 ml of fresh orange juice comprises only 45 calories. So, a 250 ml (approximately 8 ounce) serving has only 112 calories. Truly, orange juice is one product where difference between processed and fresh is so wide that anyone who has had fresh orange juice can never savor the processed juice drinks that are advertised to be of the same quality with equal enthusiasm.

You need to stay aware of such orange juice calories that you might be consuming on an everyday basis, while being of the opinion that it is good for your health. Make sure that you carefully read nutritional labels of orange juice that you are purchasing. Many orange juice products that you buy from the store are made from sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup or sucrose, but do not contain much of the real juice. As a result, you stay oblivious of the fact that you are consuming a lot of orange juice calories and not getting any good nutrition.

The best thing to avoid all this fuss over orange juice calories is to simply eat an orange instead. Drinking the juice, even though it is freshly squeezed, can never be as beneficial a substitute as eating the actual orange. This is because some nutrients are lost when you squeeze oranges to make the juice.

Orange consists of flavonoids and it is the interaction between vitamin C and flavonoids that work together to support your health. While making orange juice, flavonoids are squeezed out. So, when you have a choice between a freshly squeezed orange juice and eating an orange, the healthier option is to go for the orange instead of the juice.

So, do not be lazy and go for industrialized substitutes, at least when it comes to fruits. It is always better to stay aware and as close to natural products as you possibly can.