Despite its reputation as a healthy beverage, orange juice may not be the beneficial choice many assume, according to gut microbiome expert Jaume Fontanals. In a recent TikTok video, Fontanals breaks down the sugar content in orange juice and its implications for daily consumption.
Sugar-sweetened beverages remain popular due to their affordability, taste, and ease of consumption, but their addictive qualities often lead to excessive intake, which can negatively impact health. Fontanals highlights that a 250-milliliter serving of orange juice contains between 20 and 25 grams of sugar, equivalent to about six teaspoons.
Rethinking Orange Juice Consumption
Referencing guidelines from the World Health Organization, Fontanals points out that the recommended daily sugar intake is 25 grams. Drinking just one small glass of orange juice nearly reaches this upper limit. This high sugar concentration arises because it takes three to four whole oranges to produce a single glass of juice.
Fontanals argues that drinking such juice is illogical, stating it “makes no sense” to consume a beverage requiring multiple fruits when the nutritional benefits of eating whole oranges are far greater. Whole fruit provides essential dietary fiber, which promotes satiety and helps moderate blood sugar levels—benefits lost in the juicing process.
By choosing to eat oranges instead of drinking their juice, individuals can better regulate sugar spikes and maintain a feeling of fullness, supporting overall health more effectively than consuming juice alone.