According to Researchers in US antioxidants in orange juice -- the flavonoids naringenin and hesperidin -- help to prevent blood vessel and other damage caused by eating a high-fat fast-food meal.

A study was conducted at the University of Buffalo. Three groups of 10 normal-weight healthy men and women between the age group 20-40 were asked to have 900-calorie fast-food breakfast containing 81 grams of carbohydrates and 51 grams of fat with water, orange juice or a glucose drink.

One group drank 300 calories of "not-from-concentrate" orange juice, a second group drank a 300-calorie glucose drink and the third an equal amount of water.

Blood samples were collected before the meal and after one, three and five hours.

The result of the study revealed that oxygen free radicals increased an average of 62% with the water, 63% with the glucose and 47% with orange juice.

There was increase in blood components causing atherosclerosis, obesity, insulin resistance, and injury to cardiac cells.

But the study neither compare orange juice to other sources such as tea nor take into account the healthier breakfast options available instead of high-fat fast-food meal.