With the plant-based revolution taking hold, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some superstars trade in their milk mustaches for pitchers of freshly squeezed orange juice. And it wouldn’t be a compromise. Oranges, grapefruit, and possibly other citrus fruit can play a much bigger role in bone health than many people realize.

In fact, a study out of Texas A&M University cited citrus as a potential key to osteoporosis prevention. In the controlled study, they fed orange and grapefruit juice to a group of lab rats. The results showed surprising improvement in the bone density of the juice drinking rats over the control group. The researchers conducted a follow-up study with orange and grapefruit pulp, which also showed enhanced bone density.

In 2014, an observational study was conducted regarding orange juice consumption and bone health in both children and adults. They concluded that orange juice consumption was positively associated with bone mineral density in children and with bone health in adults.

I originally shared the Texas A&M study back in 2006, right after the report was released. But for National Orange Juice Day, I decided to dive deeper into the topic. This story now includes the “how” behind citrus and bone health, additional references with newer studies, and 25 delicious everyday recipes.

How Orange Juice Supports Bone Health and Osteoporosis Prevention

Discussions about bone health often revolve around calcium consumption, but calcium absorption and retention are the true keys to bone density. Our bodies utilize various vitamins and minerals found in citrus to keep calcium where it belongs.

• Vitamin C is essential for collagen production, which is the foundation for bone and cartilage formation.
• Potassium and Citrate act as a buffer to help decrease calcium loss when excess acid is consumed.
• Magnesium plays essential roles both directly and indirectly in bone formation and osteoporosis prevention.
• Phytonutrients found in citrus, like carotenoids and flavonoids, have been positively associated with bone activity, bone mineral density, and reduced fracture risk in studies and trials. The Texas A&M researchers believed limonoids, found in citrus, might also hold a key to better bone density.

Calcium in Orange Juice

A medium orange contains about 50 milligrams of calcium on its own, but you can also purchase calcium-fortified orange juice. Orange juice is typically fortified with calcium citrate, which has a higher absorption rate than calcium carbonate – the type of calcium found in dairy milk. So an 8-ounce glass of orange juice that’s fortified with 300 milligrams of calcium citrate actually provides bones with more calcium than an 8-ounce glass of dairy milk