Orange juice is at the top of the list of juices that are mostly consumed in the world. In addition to having a wonderful taste, this popular drink is also good for our health.
This article will be dedicated to the composition of orange juice and how and in what way it affects UTI.
Is orange juice good for UTI? Yes, orange juice is very good for UTI. Stay with us in this article to know why and how.
What are the components of orange and orange juice?
Orange juice contains a large number of vitamins, minerals, and other healthy components that are good for our health.
One cup of fresh orange juice contains:
Calories: 112
Protein: 2 grams
Fat: 0 grams
Carbohydrates: 26 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Sugar: 21 grams
Vitamin C 24 mg, magnesium 27 mg, 0.10 m vitamin B-6, 74 μg dietary folate equivalents, 496 mg potassium, and 2.48 mg sodium.
Orange juice is rich in vitamins C, A, calcium, iron, folate. Orange juice contains a large amount of fiber.
Orange juice contains the largest percentage of water. It helps hydrate the body. Water is extremely important for UTI because it flushes the urinary tract and expels UTI-causing bacteria, removes harmful substances, and retains electrolytes and nutrients, and allows the urinary tract to function normally.
Orange juice with pulp is a good source of fiber. Fiber is very good for the proper functioning of the digestive system and proper bowel emptying. This will prevent pressure on the urinary tract, growth, and development of bacteria that cause UTI.
Orange juice is extremely rich in flavonoids and carotenoids. They are antioxidants and for that reason have the role of reducing oxidative stress, ie reducing the number of free radicals that lead to various diseases, including urinary tract infections. In this way, orange juice also reduces inflammatory processes in our bodies.
Orange juice contains a lot of vitamin C. It is one of the most important vitamins used in the fight against UTI. It is a very powerful antioxidant, protects the body from free radicals that damage healthy cells, and strengthens the immune system.
Vitamin C can increase the production of white blood cells, which protects us from infections. In this way, they also protect the body from bacteria that cause UTIs.
It is very important to say that vitamin C forms nitrogen oxides with nitrates in the urine, which kills pathogenic bacteria in the urine. Vitamin C prevents the survival of bacteria by lowering the pH of urine because an acidic environment kills bacteria causing urinary tract infections.
Orange juice contains vitamin B6. It is recommended in UTI treatment because it strengthens our immune system, protects our body from infections and various bacteria, and even from bacteria that cause UTI.
Orange juice contains potassium, which is highly recommended for urinary tract infections.
Potassium has benefits for UTI, prevents the formation of kidney stones. Scientific research has shown that potassium can increase the amount of urine excreted and expel excess bacteria from the urine.
Potassium is also important for glucose metabolism, ie it affects the concentration of sugar in the blood, which can prevent the appearance of diabetes, which is one of the risk factors for the development of UTI. So it is good to drink orange juice because of this.
Is orange juice good for UTI in general?
Orange juice is generally very good for UTI. The reason for this is that it is primarily very rich in vitamin C which is a strong antioxidant, strengthens our immune system, and is very important for the prevention of UTI.
During a UTI episode, orange juice should be avoided because it irritates the bladder.
Orange juice is also good because it reduces the risk of kidney stones. It contains a high level of potassium citrate, which binds to calcium in the urine and thus prevents the development of kidney stones and the development of kidney infections.
In general, orange juice is very good for UTI. However, there are also potential risks to drinking this juice. It contains a significant amount of sugar, which can increase blood sugar levels. Elevated blood sugar can be a trigger for the onset of diabetes, which adversely affects the UTI.
The increased level of sugar in this orange juice, especially in the orange juice that contains added sugar, makes it a high-calorie drink and can lead to obesity, which also harms UTI.
Is orange juice good for preventing UTI?
It is believed that drinking a lot of fresh fruit juices can prevent the formation of UTI. If you have a juicer at home, doctors recommend that you drink more fresh juices because juices naturally strengthen the immune system.
Fresh orange juice is good for preventing UTI if we want to improve our health with a healthy diet.
All the ingredients contained in orange juice generally work well for UTI and can lead to the prevention of UTI.
Of course, you shouldn’t drink too much orange juice, because if you have UTIs and stomach problems, or if you have a bowel disease, you shouldn’t drink too much orange juice. The acid in orange juice can make ulcers and cold sores worse.
If you have a current UTI infection, you should avoid orange juice because it irritates the bladder, but as soon as the symptoms pass and you enter the calm phase, of course, you should drink orange juice as prevention for UTI. It has so many good and useful ingredients that prevent the occurrence of UTI.
What is the best way to use orange juice for UTI people and what is the dose?
Freshly squeezed juices are a superfood, of exceptional taste. However, you should pay attention to the amount of fruit that is taken so that the juice does not become a calorie bomb, and when buying already prepared juices, you should choose those with 100 percent fruit and without added sugar.
By squeezing the juice from the fruit, a liquid rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants is obtained, but the fact is that sometimes precious fibers disappear in that way.
One fresh orange has about 250 kilojoules and three grams of fiber, while a cup of juice has about 400 kilojoules and does not contain fiber.
When preparing squeezed juices or blending fruit, it is important to make an amount that will be drunk within 15 minutes, because bacteria multiply quickly in fresh liquid.
The advantage of squeezed juices is that they do not contain preservatives. But, because of that, they contain natural sugar, which can be in a large amount that can worsen UTI.
Freshly squeezed orange juice contains more vitamin C than commercial juice. But it has more sugar, which can affect the blood sugar level, that is, increase the blood sugar level if such juices are taken too much. This can lead to diabetes and worsening of UTIs.
It would be best to drink UTI bark commercial sugar-free orange juice. If freshly squeezed orange juice is consumed, it is best to have one cup thoroughly diluted with water and, of course, without added sugar.
Could sugar in orange juice affect UTI people and how can that be mitigated?
The sugar contained in orange juice can have an extremely bad effect on patients suffering from UTI.
The reason for this is that the elevated sugar level that is ingested through the juice can increase the blood sugar level. This can further cause the appearance of diabetes, which has a very unfavorable effect on UTI.
It causes the bacteria that cause UTIs to multiply and stick to the walls of the urinary tract, thus worsening urinary tract infections.
This problem could be solved by using a healthier variant of orange juice.
A healthier variant would be orange juice that does not contain added sugar or orange juice with a high percentage of pulp that contains a lot of healthy fiber. There is also orange juice, which is enriched with additional calcium, as well as vitamin D, which is not naturally found in orange juice.
Is orange juice good for kidney infections?
Recent research shows that consuming one glass a day of orange juice can help prevent recurrent kidney stones and kidney infections better than other citrus juices such as lemonade.
These researchers assume that all citrus juices prevent the formation of kidney stones. However, they show that not all citrus juices have the same protective effect on people at risk.
People who have already had kidney stones and kidney infections are at higher risk of developing new ones. That is why they are advised to change their diet and lifestyle so that they do not have such problems.
Can orange juice irritate the bladder?
Yes, orange juice can irritate the bladder as well as other citrus juices and citrus fruits.
Bladder irritation from orange juice can most often occur in the elderly. Because as we get older, we become more sensitive to some food and drinks that we could have consumed without any problems until then.
With aging, if we have problems with orange juice, it is best to drink it in moderation so as not to further irritate the bladder and have problems with UTI. As you age, you should halve the amount of orange juice you would drink during the day.
Orange juice contains a healthy amount of vitamin C and potassium, two important ingredients that are beneficial for UTI. However, it also contains a high level of acidity.
Oranges are one of the most acidic fruits, right behind lemons in terms of pH. Some people simply cannot tolerate this level of acid in their food.
Which one is better fresh or non-natural orange juice for UTI?
Commercial orange juice, the one we can buy in the store, has a higher content of flavonoids and pectin, and essential oils (from the peel) due to the production process that uses whole fruits to produce this juice compared to fresh orange juice.
Both commercial and fresh orange juice has high levels of sugar, so excessive use can lead to insulin resistance and further to diabetes. Patients with diabetes are extremely susceptible to urinary tract infections and are more likely to have UTIs. Therefore, they must consume orange juice in moderation.
Some commercial orange juices are fortified with fiber, calcium, and vitamin D. It could be said that this is one of the best types of orange juice.
Although we didn’t find any brand of orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D, Lakewood Organic Pure Orange is the best orange juice we found on Amazon to match the description mentioned above as it is fortified with fiber and many other vitamins like Folate, and Vitamins B1 (Thiamin) in addition to Vitamin A & C.
If you can find from your local stores an orange juice brand that contains decent levels of calcium and vitamin D along with fiber and the rest of the vitamins, then that would be the best option for you if you want to prevent UTIs, but if you don’t, then we recommend Lakewood Organic Pure Orange.
Fruit juices for UTI?
As we have already said, drinking a lot of fresh fruit juices can prevent urinary tract infections, and in addition, they naturally strengthen our immune system.
Any excessive consumption of fruit juices and their drinking in excessive amounts can result in too much sugar in the body, which disrupts blood sugar levels and can lead to glucose intolerance, and later to diabetes.
In addition, large consumption of fruit juices can lead to obesity, and obese people also have a lot of health problems, one of which is UTI.
check our fruits for UTI article for more information.
Summing-up
Orange juice is very good for UTI.
It is extremely rich in vitamin C, which has a beneficial effect on UTI. Of course, during acute infection, the intake of orange juice should be reduced because vitamin C wants to irritate the bladder.
Drink orange juice that has less sugar or that is sugar-free so as not to worsen the UTI.
Fresh orange juice is very healthy, but it contains more sugar, so you should limit your intake during the day.
Orange juice is also good because it reduces the formation of kidney stones.