Benefits of orange juice in your child’s diet include immunity boost, prevention of cancer, detoxifying body, increase in blood circulation, reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure and prevention of kidney stones.

Oranges have been a staple of eating healthy for thousands of years, and these fruits originated somewhere in Southeast Asia. Historical records of oranges date back as far as China, more than 4,500 years ago. They are one of the most popular citrus fruits with a scientific name Citrus sinensis. There are a number of orange varieties, but this is the sweet orange, the most popular and commonly eaten variety. It provides some of the most delicious types of orange juice, although there are some people who prefer the juice from blood oranges, mandarin oranges or even bitter oranges.

The orange juice can be just as beneficial as eating the fruit whole, provided it is 100% natural and is not loaded with preservatives, additives, and sugar. The closest thing to eating an orange would be drinking a glass of unpasteurized, freshly squeezed orange juice. The skin and pulp of oranges do have considerable health benefits, but you can get most of the nutrients and beneficial components from orange juice too.

In this article, we will discuss 9 surprising benefits of including orange juice in your child’s diet. Read on to find out how your child will be benefited from drinking orange juice:

9  Must Know Health Benefits of Orange Juice in your Child’s Diet

Boosts Your Kid’s Immune System

Oranges and orange juice have long been known as a powerhouse of healing properties and one of the richest sources of vitamin C that you can add to your child’s diet. A single serving of orange juice has more than 200% of the vitamin C requirement of the body. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, functions as a primary antioxidant in the body, and it destroys or neutralizes free radicals before they can do damage to the body. Your child’s body needs vitamin C to stimulate other aspects of their immune system as well. Furthermore, ascorbic acid is one of the fundamental components of collagen, which is necessary to repair cells and for the growth of new tissues in the body.

Prevents Cancer in Your Kid’s Body

As mentioned, vitamin C works as an antioxidant, and one of the most important functions of antioxidants is to prevent cancer. Antioxidants keep the DNA of healthy cells from mutating into cancerous cells, which makes vitamin C the first line of defense against cancer and other serious diseases.  Along with vitamin C, orange juice also contains the antioxidant hesperidin, which has been connected to reducing tumor growth and stimulating apoptosis or programmed cell death, in cancerous cells.

Read More: Preventing Breast Cancer – 21 Lifestyle Changes Every Woman Should Be Aware Of

Detoxifies Your Kid’s Body

Along with vitamin C, orange juice is also very high in vitamin A, which acts as a moderate antioxidant. Beyond that, it detoxifies the body by increasing the function of the kidneys. Vitamin A has long been connected to eye health, and adding enough vitamin A to your child’s diet can prevent night blindness, as well as macular degeneration. A single serving of orange juice has nearly 50% of the daily required intake of this precious vitamin.

Increases Blood Circulation In Your Kid’s Body

There is another very powerful aspect of orange juice, its folate content. Folate is a member of the B complex, technically it is vitamin B9. This important vitamin is essential for the creation of DNA and the growth of new cells. Folate also keeps cells safe from mutation, which is one of the ways, that free radicals damage the body. Furthermore, folate plays a role in building new red blood cells, as well as stimulating the flow of blood to the extremities. This means that the organ systems are well-oxygenated and are working at full capacity. This supports the overall metabolism of the body and the functioning of all the systems, making them more efficient and thus facilitating your kid’s overall growth.

Reduces Inflammation

Citrus fruits are commonly considered anti-inflammatory agents, and orange juice is no exception. High sugar and high-fat meals can lead to inflammation of various body parts, and this, in turn, can lead to the development of increased insulin resistance in your kid’s body. This is one of the major underlying causes of type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis. Studies have shown that orange juice can inhibit this insulin resistance by reducing inflammation, thereby protecting the heart and guaranteeing overall cardiovascular protection.  Also, being able to reduce the chances of developing diabetes is a major bonus of this property of orange juice.

Lowers Blood Pressure

Hesperidin, in orange juice, is an antioxidant, which means that it protects the body against diseases and cancer, but this water-soluble plant compound also impacts the activity and functioning of small blood vessels. This can have a major impact on blood pressure as a whole, and research has connected this powerful antioxidant to a reduction in overall blood pressure and a decreased chance of cardiovascular diseases in your kid.

Balances Cholesterol Level in Your Kid’s Body

High cholesterol is one of the dangerous causes of cardiovascular diseases in obese children, so any way to reduce the cholesterol in your child’s body is worth trying. Orange juice has been shown to reduce the presence and effects of “bad” cholesterol while increasing the amount of “good” cholesterol in the body. This property means that the chances of atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke are reduced.

Prevention of Kidney Stones in Children

Kidney stones are well known for being a highly painful condition, so if you want to ward them off from your kids, it’s best that you get them sipping on some orange juice. Orange juice contains citric acid and citrates, which are believed to help reduce the risk of kidney stones. Furthermore, potassium citrate is often prescribed to kidney stone patients as treatment and the citrates found in oranges have been found to have similar effects.

Treats Rickets in Children

Rickets is a common disease among children. As they have soft and weak bones, the many minerals present in orange juice successfully prevent the development of rickets in children. Consuming orange juice regularly also helps to treat many other disorders and relieve their symptoms.

Nutrition Facts

All the impressive health benefits of orange juice can be attributed to its nutritive content, as well as vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, vitamin A, thiamin, folate, potassium, fiber, proteins, copper, magnesium, flavonoids, hesperidin, and a variety of other trace vitamins and minerals that make it one of the most valuable and nutrient-packed fruit available. In terms of calories, orange juice has 47 calories in a serving of 100ml.

To conclude, orange juice is extremely beneficial in numerous ways and helps children in their overall growth. Therefore, you should definitely include it in your child’s diet.