Orange Juice Beneficial for Heart Health? This is the Explanation of Experts

Illustration of orange juice. (Pexels/Tymur Khakimov)

JAKARTA - Orange juice is one of the drinks that contains many nutrients for body health, including for the heart. This was revealed through a recent study in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

Quoted from Medical News Today, on Thursday, January 22, 2026, in the study it was revealed that orange juice consumption affects various genes involved in physiological functions related to heart health.

"We used a transcriptomic approach to evaluate the effects of orange juice on the entire metabolic system, so we could see how different biological pathways are simultaneously modulated," said the study's lead author, Layanne Nascimento Fraga, PhD.

The researchers identified 1,705 genes that underwent changes after orange juice consumption. As many as 98 percent of them experienced a decrease in activity.

Orange juice is considered capable of lowering the activity of genes related to hypertension or high blood pressure. It is known that this disease can increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.

Not only that, genes that play a role in inflammation also experience a decrease in activity. Inflammation itself can damage blood vessels and accelerate the formation of plaques that narrow blood vessels.

At the same time, orange juice actually increases the activity of genes that function to regulate fat metabolism, so that the body can process and store it more efficiently.

Cardiologist nutritionist, Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, said that the benefits of orange juice for heart health occur due to an increase in plasma hesperetin levels after consuming it.

"This happens because orange juice, especially if consumed after a meal, increases the level of hesperetin in the plasma, which is a flavonoid that can improve endothelial function and microvascular reactivity," said Routhenstein.

However, even though the findings of this study are promising, experts warn that the consumption of orange juice still needs to be done wisely. Excessive consumption can actually increase sugar intake.

This is at risk of triggering an insulin spike, weight gain, and visceral fat accumulation, especially for perimenopausal and menopausal women.