Effects of orange juice intake on cardiovascular risk factors - A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials

Oct 11, 2026

Lifestyle modification through diet can improve major cardiovascular risk factors, yet prior studies on orange juice effects were inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized randomized controlled clinical trials assessing orange juice intake versus control on cardiometabolic outcomes. Searches in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science covered from inception to January 2021. Fifteen eligible trials (n=639) showed reduced total cholesterol and insulin resistance, while other cardiometabolic markers showed no clear benefit (p>0.05). Evidence quality was low-to-moderate, so results require cautious interpretation and further well-designed trials.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methods

Received: 24 September 2020 Revised: 16 April 2021 Accepted: 16 May 2021 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7173 REVI EW Effects of orange juice intake on cardiovascular risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials Maryam Motallaei1,2 | Nahid Ramezani-Jolfaie3 | Mohammad Mohammadi3 | Shamim Shams-Rad1,2 | Alireza Shahab Jahanlou3 | Amin Salehi-Abargouei1,2 1Nutrition and Food Security Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran 2Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran 3Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran Correspondence Amin Salehi-Abargouei, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Sahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran. Email: [abargouei@ssu.ac.ir](abargouei@ssu.ac.ir), abargouei@ [gmail.com](gmail.com) Previous investigations exploring the effects of orange juice (OJ) as a nutrient-dense beverage on cardiovascular risk factors were inconsistent. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials to determine the effectiveness of OJ intake on major cardiometabolic markers including anthropometric indices, blood pressure, lipid profile, inflammation, and glycemic control markers. PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science were searched from inception until January 2021. Fifteen eligible trials with 639 participants were included in the present study. The meta-analysis showed that OJ intake significantly reduces circulating total cholesterol levels (10 trials; weighted mean difference [WMD] = 􀀁6 .84 mg/dl; 95% CI:􀀁12.38 to 􀀁1 .29; p = .01) and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (four trials; WMD = 􀀁0 .39, 95% CI: 􀀁0 .77 to 􀀁0 .006; p = .04) compared to control group. The analyses failed to reveal a significant effect of OJ intake on other cardiometabolic risk factors (p > .05) . This review suggests that the intake of OJ might be associated with improved serum total cholesterol and insulin sensitivity. Due to lowto-moderate quality of meta-evidence, our results must be interpreted with caution and more well-designed studies are still needed to confirm the current findings. KEYWOR DS anthropometric indices, blood pressure, inflammatory markers, lipid profile, meta-analysis, orange juice 1 | INTRODUCTION Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide, as it accounted for one-third of global mortality in 2016 and it is worth mentioning that three-quarters of these deaths were occurred in low-and middle-income countries (Zhong, Wu, Chen, Huang, & Hu, 2018) . Lifestyle modification including a balanced diet can substantially improve CVD's major risk factors, such as high blood cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes (Delgado-Lista et al., 2016; Khajebishak et al., 2019) . Healthy dietary patterns, which emphasize on high fruits and vegetables intake, play important roles in the prevention and management of CVD (Estruch et al., 2013; Sofi, Cesari, Abbate, Gensini, & Casini, 2008) . Previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses of prospective observational studies indicated that flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables and circulating concentrations of vitamin C, vitamin E, and β-carotene are associated with decreased risk of CVD, cancer, and mortality (Aune et al., 2018; Grosso et al., 2017; Jayedi, Rashidy-Pour, Parohan, Zargar, & Shab-Bidar, 2019) . Higher consumption of particular fruits and vegetables (like cruciferousand green leafy vegetables, apples, pears, and citrus fruits) is also inversely associated with a lower risk of CVD (Aune et al., 2017) . Citrus fruits and their juice contain several micronutrients, antioxidants, and polyphenolic compounds including hesperidin, narirutin, nobiletin, and tangeretin, which might improve human health and

FAQs

What was the aim of the review on orange juice intake?

To determine the effectiveness of orange juice intake on major cardiometabolic markers, including anthropometric indices, blood pressure, lipid profile, inflammation, and glycemic control markers.

Which outcomes improved significantly with orange juice intake?

Orange juice intake significantly reduced total cholesterol levels and improved insulin resistance as assessed by HOMA-IR, compared with the control group.

Was orange juice intake found to affect other cardiovascular risk factors?

No significant effects were found on other cardiometabolic risk factors, with analyses showing p>0.05.

Oct 11, 2026

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