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Thursday, November 26, 2009

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How long does OJ keep before it loses vitamins?

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Since we're not big juice drinkers in our house, OJ usually only makes its way into our fridge when guests come to visit. Even then, it still takes us a few weeks to polish off the carton. I never thought much about keeping the OJ for a few weeks. After all, it still tastes good—and we usually finish it before the expiration date. Then I read this study that showed opened OJ loses all antioxidant benefit after just one week! Seriously? Well, as you can imagine, this led me to wonder if other items in my kitchen lose their health punch over time. (Spoiler alert: they do!)

Keep track of how long you store these 4 items. Here's why: certain nutrients are unstable when exposed to oxygen (from the air), heat (from cooking) and light.

Orange juice: 1 week
One cup of OJ can offer a full day's dose of vitamin C. But OJ that has been opened loses all antioxidant benefit after just one week. To get the most vitamin C, buy frozen concentrate and drink within a few days. Frozen concentrate is exposed to less light and air. (Use your OJ before it loses its nutritional punch: make Grilled Orange Chicken Fingers and more delicious recipes with orange juice.)

Green tea: 6 months
A 2009 study in the Journal of Food Science showed that catechins (antioxidants linked with a reduced risk of some cancers) in green tea decreased markedly over time. After six months, catechin levels were 32 percent lower. Make the most of the antioxidants by storing tea in a sealed container in a dark, cool place.
(Add this 1 ingredient to your tea to make it healthier.)

Olive oil: 6 months
Extra-virgin olive oil contains more than 45 heart-healthy antioxidants, but after six months of storage their potency decreases by about 40 percent, according to researchers at the University of Foggia in Italy. Why? Oxygen bubbles in the bottle destroy the antioxidants.
(Find out which brands won our Olive Oil Taste Test and find out how to shop for the healthiest and tastiest olive oil.)

Honey: 6 months
Researchers at the University of Illinois found the antioxidant power of clover and buckwheat honey decreased by 30 to 50 percent after six months. Consider buying buckwheat honey—it generally has more antioxidants to start with.
(Can honey help you lose weight?)

By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.

Brierley's interest in nutrition and food come together in her position as an associate editor at EatingWell. Brierley holds a master's degree in Nutrition Communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. A Registered Dietitian, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont.



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From the Community…

Comments 1-10 of 51
  • Evil's Avatar
    Posted by Evil Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:01am PDT

    Thanks for the info, I had no idea!... I think I have all of these things in my kitchen too!

    Report Abuse
  • ILoveFriday's Avatar
    Posted by ILoveFriday Wed Oct 28, 2009 1:56pm PDT

    On the OJ container it says, "Best if used w/in 7 days."

    Doesn't seem to be rocket science to me. But what the heck do I know!!??!

    Report Abuse
  • zebracakes's Avatar
    Posted by zebracakes Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:37pm PDT

    Nice to know. No one reads the containers. I was surprised by the olive oil fact.

    Report Abuse
  • sylvester M's Avatar
    Posted by sylvester M Thu Oct 29, 2009 3:56pm PDT

    no problem at my house oj only lasts 3 days

    because everyone drinks it.

    Report Abuse
  • sam paul's Avatar
    Posted by sam paul Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:28pm PDT

    Of course we all have these things in our kitchen! Let us all rush out and consume some more! The orange juice lobby will have your skin! Exclamation!!!

    Report Abuse
  • RW's Avatar
    Posted by RW Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:45pm PDT

    WGAF?!?

    Report Abuse
  • justokay's Avatar
    Posted by justokay Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:28am PDT

    Really good info. I've always wondered how long caffeine stays in coffee. Does it just fade away?

    Report Abuse
  • jenniferjuniper's Avatar
    Posted by jenniferjuniper Fri Oct 30, 2009 6:12am PDT

    Hey what I have read is even shorter and I've read this more than once. The most nutritous way to drink juice is fresh from the juicer- and it loses a lot of it's good stuff after just a couple of hours. Literally. And the taste is completely different due to a variety of factors like freshness of course, but also lack of pasteurization which kills off a lot of good stuff with the bad. Walmart and other discount places sell inexpensive juicers these day (a long time ago you could only get the expensive ones). And even with frequent juicing my juicer is still lasting years.

    Report Abuse
  • Mark in Illinois's Avatar
    Posted by Mark in Illinois Fri Oct 30, 2009 10:00am PDT

    Whats best tomato juice? How long in refrigerator before it loses vitamins? Thank-You.

    Report Abuse
  • Lisa's Avatar
    Posted by Lisa Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:26am PDT

    MMMMMM...I LOVE OJ!!! I polish a carton off in a good 2 days on my own!!

    Report Abuse
Comments 1-10 of 51

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