In a small but detailed study, 20 healthy adults drank about two cups of 100% orange juice every day for two months.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Researchers from the University of S\u00e3o Paulo in Brazil, North Carolina State University and the University of California, Davis, tracked changes in more than 1,700 genes within participants’ immune cells, finding broad shifts in genetic activity tied to blood pressure, fat metabolism and inflammation \u2014 all key factors in cardiovascular health.<\/a><\/p>\n ORANGE JUICE SUGAR CUTS PROPOSED BY FDA TO HELP CITRUS GROWERS: WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The findings highlight how citrus flavonoids \u2014 plant compounds also found in berries, tea and cocoa that act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories \u2014 may influence the body at a molecular level. The research was published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research in late October.<\/p>\n Most of the changes among participants pointed toward lower inflammation and healthier blood vessel function, though responses differed by body weight. Normal-weight participants showed shifts in inflammation-related genes, while those who were overweight<\/a> displayed changes tied to fat metabolism and energy use.<\/p>\n A new study suggests that drinking orange juice daily may influence genes linked to heart health. (iStock)<\/p>\n “These findings reinforce the therapeutic potential of orange juice by providing unprecedented insights into the molecular mechanisms behind its health effects,” the researchers wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Orange juice isn’t an elixir \u2014 it’s one deeply studied example.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The findings also suggest that body weight “may influence molecular response to bioactive compounds in OJ and provide information for personalized recommendations on the consumption of flavonoid-rich foods,” they added.<\/p>\n FRUIT AND VEGETABLE COATINGS ON GROCERY-STORE PRODUCE IN THE SPOTLIGHT: ‘KNOW WHAT WE’RE EATING’<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The researchers cautioned that the study was small and lacked a control beverage, showing associations rather than proof of cause and effect.\u00a0<\/p>\n They said more research is needed to determine whether these molecular shifts translate into clinical benefits.<\/a><\/p>\n The study found that orange juice affected genes differently based on body weight. (iStock)<\/p>\n Nicolette Pace, a registered dietitian nutritionist from New York, said the study<\/a> supports using plant compounds to promote longevity and reduce future disease risk, but noted that while changes in gene expression and health are interconnected, they are not identical.<\/p>\n TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “Orange juice isn’t an elixir \u2014 it’s one deeply studied example,” Pace told Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nonetheless, she said, the new study “opens the door to incredible possibilities for how individualized nutrition<\/a> can truly work.” (She was not involved with the study.)\u00a0<\/p>\n “In normal amounts, the sugar content doesn’t cancel out the benefits.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Pace said she recommends low to moderate daily orange juice consumption.\u00a0<\/p>\n “In normal amounts, the sugar content doesn’t cancel out the benefits,” she said.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Funding for the study came from the S\u00e3o Paulo Research Foundation, Brazil’s National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, the Food Research Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.<\/p>\n The new research offers a look at how orange juice may influence gene activity connected to heart health. (iStock)<\/p>\n Fox News Digital reached out to the study’s authors for comment.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, past research has found that adults who drank 100% orange juice before a meal ate fewer total calories<\/a> and had lower blood sugar levels throughout the day compared to those who drank a sugar-sweetened “orange drink,” Fox News Digital previously reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/man-in-kitchen-drinking-orange-juice.jpg\")
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