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.

Macronutrients and Calories

Orange and pineapple juice are similar in macronutrient content. Pineapple juice is slightly more dense in nutrients consisting 86% of 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 which are 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 a 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.

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.

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).

The glycemic index of orange juice, based on the mean of three different studies, is equal to 59 (3). 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 raw pineapple juice to decrease serum insulin and upregulate glucose transporter expression in rats (5).

A similar study about orange juice concluded that 100% fresh orange juice may decrease insulin response, without a significant effect on 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.

Sources.

1. https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/diacare/suppl/2008/09/18/dc08-1239.DC1/TableA2_1.pdf
2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232037162
3. https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/diacare/suppl/2008/09/18/dc08-1239.DC1/TableA1_1.pdf
4. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycemic-index-and-glycemic-load-for-100-foods
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6170270/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770506/
7. https://www.webpal.org/SAFE/aaarecovery/2_food_storage/Processing/lacf-phs.htm