Most of us took it for granted, for years, that a glass of orange juice was a standard part of any breakfast.

If that orange juice happened to have a little sparkling wine in it, even better.

Then articles started appearing about how orange juice wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, with warnings that you shouldn’t be knocking it back as part of your regime to start the day.

We’ve learnt that if you enjoy something, at some stage someone is guaranteed to write something about how it’s going to kill you. That same person will then write something about the latest food or drink trend that’s going to save your life.

Remember when the internet told us all to live on celery juice?

Thankfully, over time, logic prevails. We now know that celery juice isn’t a substitute for a balanced diet. Furthermore, Good Housekeeping spoke to nutritionist Bonnie Taub-Dix, to clear up any misinformation about orange juice.

“Orange juice can provide a lot of the vitamins and minerals we need in a more convenient package.”

Just one small glass (about 6 ounces) of 100% orange juice provides you with 93 mg of vitamin C, which is more than 100% of the RDA for both men and women (pregnant and nursing women need a little extra, so go for that slightly larger glass). The only foods that come close to that power-punch of C are red and green bell peppers, grapefruit, and kiwi.

In the words of every single infomercial from the 90s, but wait, there’s more…

It’s one of the best natural ways to get folate

The CDC encourages all women to consume at least 400 mcg of folate(found naturally in food) or folic acid (the lab-created version, found in supplements and enriched food) each day to prevent neural tube defects in any future babies— it also helps keep your own blood healthy by promoting red blood cell growth.

It has a lot of other powerful vitamins and minerals

Though vitamin C gets all the attention, orange juice is also rich in potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, and several B vitamins.

“Many brands are also fortified with calcium and vitamin D.”

As Taub-Dix points out, it’s important to remember that not all juices are created equal. She advises that you look out for words like ‘orangeade’, ‘orange drink’, or ‘orange soda’, which often contain added, rather than natural, sugar.

You’re going to want to read the label and look out for natural ingredients like those found in Sir Fruit fruit juices.

Though you may prefer the smoother texture of “no pulp” OJ, the pulp is the part that contains fiber, says Taub-Dix. And fiber is crucial for maintaining digestive health and lowering your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

If you really want to up the health factor, drink cold-pressed orange juice.

Sir Fruit’s cold-pressed juices don’t use emulsifiers, modified starch, colourants or acacia gum to bind juice.

You can tell because they’re always refrigerated and they also separate in the fridge. Yep, juice that separates is actually healthier.

The best part is that you can still spike it with a little bubbly if the mood strikes you.

Case closed, debate over. Orange juice wins.

[source:goodhousekeeping]