Can orange juice keep my joints healthy?

Authors of a recent study concluded that beta-cryptoxanthin intake could be quite helpful in reducing the risk of polyarthritis -- a joint condition most often triggered by the autoimmune system. And fresh-squeezed OJ happens to have plenty of the compound.

When researchers gave a diet survey to a large group of middle-aged and older European adults, people with the highest amounts of beta-cryptoxanthin in their diets were less likely to develop polyarthritis than the people with the lowest intakes. Researchers speculate that adding just one glass of fresh-squeezed OJ a day could provide enough beta-cryptoxanthin to protect against the inflammatory joint condition.

Oranges and orange juice are also great sources of vitamin C -- another important nutrient for joint health. And although the researchers suspect that beta-cryptoxanthin may do the best job of protecting against oxidative damage to joint linings, other carotenoids -- like zeaxanthin -- may help, too.

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