THE RIGHT QUESTION – Orange juice is often found on breakfast tables. It’s fresh, tasty, energizing. But is it so valuable for our health?
Who ever drinks a glass of orange for breakfast, convinced to start their day better, to do well, to give the body its dose of fruit, its hit of vitamins? And for good reason, orange juice or orange juice enjoys a reputation as a health drink. Only he who says sugar, says sugar. So what is it really? Is the morning gesture so good for our health?
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Blood sugar spike and fatigue
When asked the question, Isabelle Descamps (1), dietitian nutritionist, trainer in digestive and thyroid health, immediately answered in the negative. In the morning, orange juice is problematic for two reasons: its sugar content and its liquid form. Clarifications: at the risk of disappointing some, the body is not made to consume sugar absorbed quickly in the morning. At breakfast, “our body ideally needs protein (eggs, cheese, butter, etc.) because it needs dopamine, the neurotransmitter that “starts” the day, allows concentration and energy, informs the dietitian nutritionist. If we consume sugar, it will sit on the dopamine receptors and prevent the molecule from doing its job.
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When you drink orange juice, the blood sugar level rises suddenly: this is what we call the blood sugar peak. “The pancreas then releases a lot of insulin – the hormone that allows sugar to enter the cells – then the peak quickly goes down again, this is what we call reactive hypoglycemia.” Consequences? We experience fatigue, decreased concentration and roller coaster blood sugar spikes, responsible for cravings throughout the day. This will also encourage us to eat more at lunch and dinner.
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He eats the whole orange
If the sugar is absorbed so quickly, it is because you consume the fruit in its liquid version. By itself, orange juice is almost as sweet as a whole orange; 100 grams of fruit provides 7.9 grams of sugar, the same amount of sugar provides 9.6 grams. “But the liquid form is free of fruit fibers, fibers that slow down the absorption of sugar in the blood,” explains Isabelle Descamps. In short, we only have water, sugar and a few vitamins. Thus, a blood sugar level called “normal” (at 100 milligrams of sugar per deciliter of blood) will rise to 115 after eating an orange, but will drop to 150 after drinking the juice. “Eating whole fruit provides gentle and progressive energy,” comments the dietician. It is not for nothing that the National Nutrition and Health Program (PNNS) declassified juices from the “fruit” category to the “sweet products” category.
The liquid form is free of fruit fibers, fibers that slow down the absorption of sugar in the blood.
Isabelle Descamps, nutritionist dietitian
In summary, orange juice is a “pleasure” food but not a “healthy” food. To be consumed, therefore, with great parsimony. And industrial juices should also be rare in our diet, because of the sugars and additives they may contain. If you absolutely want to enjoy an orange for breakfast, it is better to choose the solid version. Even more when we know that this form, and this alone, allows us to enjoy the benefits of the fruit. “The composition of foods is interesting in general,” emphasizes the dietitian. Clearly, the sum of nutrients, vitamins or minerals they contain is of little interest, what matters is the way in which all these elements interact together; This is what we call the nutritional matrix of food “. Without forgetting that this form forces us to chew and therefore to take time. The sugar will arrive more slowly in the stomach.
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If you want a fresh and tasty drink for breakfast, Isabelle Descamps recommends a glass of water at room temperature, in which you squeeze a lemon and add mint leaves, for example. “Drinking a little acid (adding diluted lemon or apple cider vinegar to water) also allows you to moderate the glycemic peak of breakfast by 25%,” adds the dietitian. Enough to kill two birds with one stone.
(1) Isabelle Descamps gives advice on her YouTube channel. On the subject, he is the author of these two videos “Sugar test, unstable blood sugar levels: causes and consequences” and “10 tips to eat less sugar”.