Orange Juice vs. Pineapple Juice — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Production

Both orange juice and pineapple juice are derived using similar methods, primarily from the freshly squeezed fruits of oranges and pineapples. Alternative techniques can also be employed to extract the juices, such as rehydrating the fruits and subsequently concentrating the resulting liquid. 

In commercial settings, various additional processes are implemented to enhance the shelf life of the products, including pasteurization, which can affect the taste, nutrient content, and overall flavor profile. 

Moreover, during the production process, both orange juice and pineapple juice often undergo the addition of sugars and vitamin C. The precise amount and type of sugars added may differ depending on the specific brand or product, with some manufacturers incorporating natural sugars inherent in the fruits themselves, while others may introduce additional sweeteners. 

The juices are commonly sold in canned and bottled forms.     

Taste and Appearance 

Orange juice and pineapple juice may seem to have similar colors; however, orange juice tends to have a bright orange color, while pineapple juice is commonly light yellow or beige. 

During commercial production, both juices may have flavors added to them to preserve the natural orange and pineapple flavors.

Macronutrients and Calories

Orange and pineapple juice are very similar in macronutrient content. Pineapple juice is only negligibly denser in nutrients consisting of 86% water, while orange juice contains 88% water.

The serving size of both orange and pineapple juice is one cup, which is about 250g. You are most likely to see 8 ounces (240ml) on the nutrition label, which is equivalent to a cup. 

In this article, some of the nutritional comparisons are conducted for 100-gram values for better understanding.         

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison

Pineapple juice

1

:

4

Orange juice

Contains more Carbs +23.8%

Contains more Protein +94.4%

Contains more Fats +66.7%

Contains more Other +42.9%

Equal in Water - 88.3

Pineapple juice

Protein: 0.36 g

Fats: 0.12 g

Carbs: 12.87 g

Water: 86.37 g

Other: 0.28 g

Orange juice

Protein: 0.7 g

Fats: 0.2 g

Carbs: 10.4 g

Water: 88.3 g

Other: 0.4 g

Contains more Carbs +23.8%

Contains more Protein +94.4%

Contains more Fats +66.7%

Contains more Other +42.9%

Equal in Water - 88.3

Vitamins

During the processing of fruit into juice, it loses a lot of its vitamins. However, orange and pineapple juices still contain a decent amount of vitamins. 

Sometimes these juices have additional vitamins added to them during the production process to substitute for the lost ones. For example, the nutritional composition of the pineapple juice discussed in this article is derived from the USDA’s Food Central database, where they clearly state vitamin C has been added to it during production. This might be the case for orange juice as well, although it is not clear because of the lack of information.    

The predominant vitamin in both orange juice and pineapple juice is vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and plays an important role in the immune system (1). 

One cup of orange juice contains 124mg of vitamin C, while the same serving of pineapple juice contains 110mg of vitamin C. 

Although orange juice contains slightly more amounts of vitamin C, both contain more than enough to fulfill the daily recommended need. It is recommended to take 90mg of vitamin C  for men and 75mg for women daily; however, during the lactation period, the need for women is actually 120mg. Hence, orange juice would be best at fulfilling the daily vitamin C need for lactating women. 

Although present in lower quantities, more vitamins are present in both orange juice and pineapple juice. Orange juice contains more vitamin A, as well as most B-group vitamins, such as vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, and the folate form of vitamin B9. On the other hand, pineapple juice is richer in vitamin B6. Again, keep in mind that these vitamins are present at lower concentrations when put in the context of daily recommended need; hence may even be considered negligible. 

Both of these juices completely lack vitamin D and vitamin B12. Again, it is important to note that some manufacturers add more vitamins to the juice to increase the beneficial effects. 

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Pineapple juice

2

:

8

Orange juice

Contains more Vitamin B6 +150%

Contains more Vitamin K +200%

Contains more Vitamin A +3900%

Contains more Vitamin E +100%

Contains more Vitamin C +14.2%

Contains more Vitamin B1 +55.2%

Contains more Vitamin B2 +42.9%

Contains more Vitamin B3 +101%

Contains more Vitamin B5 +239.3%

Contains more Folate +66.7%

Pineapple juice

Orange juice

Contains more Vitamin B6 +150%

Contains more Vitamin K +200%

Contains more Vitamin A +3900%

Contains more Vitamin E +100%

Contains more Vitamin C +14.2%

Contains more Vitamin B1 +55.2%

Contains more Vitamin B2 +42.9%

Contains more Vitamin B3 +101%

Contains more Vitamin B5 +239.3%

Contains more Folate +66.7%

Minerals

Whereas orange juice was slightly favored in the vitamin category for its vitamin C content, pineapple juice is much more favored in the mineral category. 

Specifically, pineapple juice is a great source of manganese, containing 0.504 grams of the mineral.

Although present in lower quantities, pineapple juice is also slightly richer in copper, while orange juice is richer in potassium.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Pineapple juice

6

:

3

Orange juice

Contains more Calcium +18.2%

Contains more Iron +55%

Contains more Zinc +120%

Contains more Copper +56.8%

Contains more Manganese +3500%

Contains more Phosphorus +112.5%

Contains more Potassium +53.8%

Contains less Sodium -50%

Equal in Magnesium - 11

Equal in Selenium - 0.1

Pineapple juice

Orange juice

Contains more Calcium +18.2%

Contains more Iron +55%

Contains more Zinc +120%

Contains more Copper +56.8%

Contains more Manganese +3500%

Contains more Phosphorus +112.5%

Contains more Potassium +53.8%

Contains less Sodium -50%

Equal in Magnesium - 11

Equal in Selenium - 0.1

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index of orange or pineapple juice can vary depending on the production method, carbohydrate content, and composition.

Based on numbers from The International Tables of Glycemic Indices, the glycemic index of unsweetened pineapple juice is 46 (2). Another study has found the glycemic index of pineapple juice to be 66 (3).

Based on the mean of three different studies, the glycemic index of orange juice is equal to 59 (2). Harvard Health puts the glycemic index of orange juice in the range of 50±2 (4).

Orange and pineapple juice both fall into the low to moderate glycemic index classification.

One research has demonstrated that raw pineapple juice decreases serum insulin and upregulates glucose transporter expression in rats (5).

A similar study about orange juice concluded that 100% fresh orange juice might decrease insulin response without significantly affecting blood glucose levels (6).

Overall, people with type 2 diabetes can use fresh orange and pineapple juice in moderation without significant adverse effects on health.

Acidity

Orange juice is naturally acidic, with a pH value falling in the range of 3.30 to 4.19 (7).

The acidity of pineapple juice is not dissimilar, with a pH of 3.45 (7).

The acidity of foods can also be measured by a value called the potential renal acid load or PRAL. The PRAL value demonstrates how much base or acid the given food produces inside the body.

The PRAL value for orange and pineapple juice has been calculated to be -3.7 and -2.7, respectively. This demonstrates that orange juice is more alkalizing as compared to pineapple juice.