Nicole Loomis

As the seasons start to change and children start to head back to school, many of us begin to experience allergies and seasonal sicknesses that can throw us for a loop. But while you might reach for whatever’s in your medicine cabinet or make a trek to the nearest pharmacy, there may be items in your cupboard or refrigerator that can stave off these illnesses just as effectively. Certainly, there are a lot of misguided notions pertaining to homeopathic medicine. However, homemade remedies have managed to maintain and restore our health for centuries — so there’s no reason to completely dismiss them as a viable supplement to modern medicine.

Take orange juice, for example. As one of the most popular juices around, you probably offer several items on your menu — thanks to your commercial juice machines — that feature this sweet-yet-tart extract. But aside from being pleasing to the palate, orange juice offers some major health benefits. For one thing, OJ is an excellent source of vitamin C. In fact, a single serving of orange juice contains more than 200% of the vitamin C your body requires on a daily basis. Vitamin C can help support immune system function, which means that consuming it regularly can help you fight off bacteria and viruses. It’s important to note that drinking orange juice probably won’t cure a common cold or rid you of the flu you’ve already caught, as you need more vitamin C in you system before getting sick in order to increase the severity of what ails you. Drinking orange juice daily, on the other hand, can potentially prevent you from becoming ill in the first place.

But the OJ-rich beverages you whip up in your automatic juicers can do more than keep the sniffles at bay. Research shows that orange juice is rich in antioxidants like ascorbic acid, carotenoids, and flavonoids, which can protect individuals against certain chronic conditions and promote better health overall. In fact, one study found that drinking 25 ounces of orange juice each day helped to significantly increase antioxidant intake — and since antioxidants can reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, this just shows the essential role that commercial fruit juicerscan play in the well-being of customers. Drinking OJ is actually one of the most common (and most approachable) ways Americans obtain antioxidants. While many “superfoods” offer a means for consumers to increase their antioxidant intake, many people will choose something familiar like orange juice over something more polarizing like kale.

Interestingly, orange juice may also be tied to inflammation reduction, improved heart health, and even the prevention of kidney stones. Studies have suggested that drinking orange juice may decrease inflammation levels connected to chronic diseases, reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol, and lower the risk of developing kidney stones. With that in mind, you can promote the beverages you create with your commercial fruit juicers as not merely delicious and helpful in preventing short-term sicknesses but as an essential and long-term aspect of a healthy diet.

While orange juice can’t be considered a panacea, it has a lot more health benefits than most people realize. By promoting these benefits in your marketing and signage — and by investing in high-quality commercial fruit juicers to meet customer needs — you’ll be able to keep your patrons happy and healthy.