If you drink orange juice with breakfast, this is what happens to your cholesterol

Nothing pairs better with a plate of eggs, bacon, and pancakes for breakfast than a big glass of orange juice. According to experts at Hartford HealthCare, orange juice may lower your risk of chronic disease, reduce inflammation, and make you less likely to get kidney stones. Researchers in a 2024 study published in the scientific journal Nutrients also found that drinking 100 percent fresh-squeezed orange juice before a meal seemed to lower blood sugar levels in healthy adults, compared to drinking a sugar-sweetened orange beverage. In addition to these numerous health benefits, could a glass of orange juice first thing in the morning also benefit our cholesterol health?

Natural orange juice is rich in vitamin C, fiber, potassium, folate, and much more. A 2023 research paper published in the Journal of Nutritional Science outlines how this breakfast favorite may not do much to lower total cholesterol or raise HDL “good” cholesterol, but it may improve our LDL cholesterol levels, or “bad” cholesterol.

The 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis included nearly 400 participants. Orange juice supplements appeared to have little effect on total or HDL cholesterol levels, with some studies showing a reduction in “good” cholesterol levels in women. However, daily doses of more than 500 milliliters of orange juice appeared to significantly reduce LDL cholesterol levels. This was particularly evident in studies lasting at least eight weeks.

That said, some research shows that orange juice can indeed have an effect on total cholesterol levels, as well as LDL cholesterol. In a 2013 study published in Lipids in Health and Disease, researchers examined the long-term effects of drinking orange juice on the cholesterol levels of individuals who worked in an orange juice factory. The study found that 41 percent of the workers drank 2 cups of orange juice every day for a year or more, while the remaining workers never drank orange juice. Compared to those who did not drink orange juice, workers with normal or slightly high cholesterol levels were found to have lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels in association with drinking orange juice.

To ensure that orange juice benefits your overall health, registered dietitian Melissa Keeney tells Hartford HealthCare that pulp is better than no pulp. “The pulp contains fiber, which regulates the digestive system and keeps blood sugar levels more stable,” she says. You should also look for orange juice products that are lower in calories. While this may sound like a health benefit at first, products with 50 percent fewer calories also mean that the nutritional value is cut in half due to added water.

And finally, what about the concerns about sugar? Orange juice is high in natural fruit sugar, also known as fructose. Findings from a 2018 mouse study published in Cell Metabolism suggest that fructose is primarily broken down in the small intestine. This processing was originally thought to occur in the liver, but high levels of fructose can challenge the small intestine to fully metabolize, increasing the risk of fruit sugar reaching the liver, potentially damaging our health. The study’s author advocates mindful fruit juice consumption, further noting that drinking orange juice after breakfast may be a healthier choice than drinking it first thing in the morning. However, more research into the optimal timing of orange juice consumption appears to be needed, as researchers from the aforementioned 2024 study suggested that drinking 100% natural orange juice before a meal may have an adverse effect on our blood sugar levels.