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

Nutrition

We are comparing the nutritional compositions of raw orange juice and unsweetened pineapple juice with added ascorbic acid.

General

Macronutrients and Calories

Orange and pineapple juice are similar in macronutrient content. Pineapple juice is slightly more dense in nutrients consisting of 86% water, while orange juice contains 88% water.

The serving size of both orange and pineapple juice is one cup, nearly equal to 250g.

Calories

Due to the higher level of carbohydrates, pineapple juice has a little more calories. A hundred gram serving of pineapple juice contains 53 calories. The caloric value for the same amount of orange juice is 45.

Subsequently, one cup of orange juice contains 112 calories, while one cup of pineapple juice has 132 calories.

Protein and Fats

These juices are not particularly rich in proteins or fats; however, orange juice is a little higher in both. Orange and pineapple juice are low in all essential amino acids.

Pineapple juice is relatively richer in polyunsaturated fatty acids, also known as healthy fats.

Carbohydrates

Pineapple juice has a higher content of carbohydrates. A hundred gram serving of pineapple juice contains 13g of carbohydrates, while the same serving of orange juice has 10g.

The carbohydrate content in both of these juices consists of 98% sugar and only 2% fiber.

The predominant sugars found in pineapple juice are glucose, fructose, and sucrose.

Vitamins

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

Orange juice is a lot richer in most vitamins. Orange juice contains larger amounts of vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin C, 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 K and vitamin B6.

Both of these juices completely lack vitamin D and vitamin B12.

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.

Orange juice

8

:

2

Pineapple juice

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%

Contains more Vitamin B6 +150%

Contains more Vitamin K +200%

Orange juice

Pineapple juice

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%

Contains more Vitamin B6 +150%

Contains more Vitamin K +200%

Minerals

In contrast to the vitamin content, pineapple juice is richer in minerals, being higher in iron, calcium, copper, zinc, magnesium, and manganese.

That said, orange juice contains higher levels of potassium, phosphorus, and choline. Orange juice is also lower in sodium.

Both orange and pineapple juice have an equal amount of selenium.

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.

Orange juice

3

:

6

Pineapple juice

Contains more Phosphorus +112.5%

Contains more Potassium +53.8%

Contains less Sodium -50%

Contains more Calcium +18.2%

Contains more Iron +55%

Contains more Zinc +120%

Contains more Copper +56.8%

Contains more Manganese +3500%

Equal in Magnesium - 12

Equal in Selenium - 0.1

Orange juice

Pineapple juice

Contains more Phosphorus +112.5%

Contains more Potassium +53.8%

Contains less Sodium -50%

Contains more Calcium +18.2%

Contains more Iron +55%

Contains more Zinc +120%

Contains more Copper +56.8%

Contains more Manganese +3500%

Equal in Magnesium - 12

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 (1). Another study has found the glycemic index of pineapple juice to be 66 (2).

Based on the mean of three different studies, the glycemic index of orange juice is equal to 59 (1). Harvard Health puts the glycemic index of orange juice in the range of 50±2 (3).

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 (4).

A similar study about orange juice concluded that 100% fresh orange juice might decrease insulin response without significantly affecting blood glucose levels (5).

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 (6).

The acidity of pineapple juice is not dissimilar, with a pH of 3.45 (6).

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.

References

1. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/114/5/1625/6320814
2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232037162
3. Glycemic index for 60+ foods
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6170270/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770506/
6. https://www.webpal.org/SAFE/aaarecovery/2_food_storage/Processing/lacf-phs.htm