Does orange juice help with colds?

Probably very little, and the juice itself has barely been tested. The only trial we found was published in 1979: 362 healthy adults aged 17 to 25 drank orange juice with 80 mg of vitamin C a day for 72 days and had 14 to 21 percent fewer cold symptoms than on placebo, in a study that does not say it was randomized. Its own authors concluded the result did not justify vitamin C for well-nourished adults. For vitamin C supplements the answer is clearer: they do not stop most people catching colds, and taken every day they shorten colds by 8 percent in adults.

Myth. Reaching for orange juice once a cold has started rests on its vitamin C, and the trials of vitamin C started at cold onset found no consistent effect on how long or how bad the cold was. That is seven comparisons covering 3,249 cold episodes in a Cochrane review, and those trials used supplements, not juice.

What the trials found

Because the juice has one old trial, the question falls back on vitamin C, which is the reason anyone links orange juice to colds. The 1979 study gave natural and synthetic orange juice, and the two worked alike, which points to the vitamin C rather than anything else in the fruit.

The Cochrane review is the largest source. In general community trials involving 10,708 people, regular vitamin C of at least 0.2 g a day did not lower the chance of catching a cold (risk ratio 0.97, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.00). Taken every day, it shortened colds by 8 percent in adults (3 to 12 percent) and by 14 percent in children (7 to 21 percent). In children, 1 to 2 g a day shortened colds by 18 percent.

A 2023 meta-analysis of 10 randomized double-blind trials found vitamin C at 1 g a day or more made colds 15 percent less severe than placebo (95% CI 9 to 21 percent). By vitamin C content, 1 g is 2.1 quarts (2 liters) of juice or more, which is a dose nobody reaches from a breakfast glass.

Whole fruit has one small trial. In a randomized crossover trial in 32 New Zealanders aged 65 and over, four gold kiwifruit a day for 4 weeks did not reduce respiratory infections compared with bananas. Head congestion was milder and shorter, and sore throats were shorter. That is a pilot-sized trial of a different fruit.

Unsettled. The one group where vitamin C clearly cut the number of colds is people under heavy short physical stress. Across 5 trials in 598 marathon runners, skiers and soldiers on subarctic exercises, regular vitamin C halved the risk (risk ratio 0.48, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.64). That is a small subgroup on supplements, and no trial has tested whether orange juice does the same for them.

What a glass actually gives

The UK composition table gives freshly squeezed orange juice 48 mg of vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g) and chilled carton juice 40 mg, with 8.1 g and 8.6 g of sugars. Juice made from frozen concentrate lost about a quarter of its vitamin C in a week in the fridge, from 117 to 89 mg per 8 fl oz, while chilled carton juice went from 69 to 64 mg. The trials that showed shorter colds started at 0.2 g of vitamin C a day, and the severity result needed 1 g or more.

Who should be careful

Unpasteurised juice is the real safety issue here. In 1995, unpasteurised orange juice caused a Salmonella outbreak of 62 cases linked to a Florida theme park, where 97 percent of case patients had drunk the park's juice against 54 percent of controls. In a 2008 Dutch outbreak, fresh unpasteurised fruit juice from one retailer was the only significant risk factor for illness (matched odds ratio 7.4, 95% CI 1.5 to 37.2), although the bacteria were never isolated from the juice itself.

Orange juice is also hard on teeth. Across 21 in situ trials, in which enamel samples are worn in the mouth, orange juice removed 2.6 times more enamel than a calcium-containing blackcurrant juice, in trials that varied a great deal between them.

High-dose vitamin C supplements, which is where the cold results come from, can cause diarrhea, nausea and cramps. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements sets the upper intake level at 400 to 2,000 mg a day depending on age. That level is hard to reach from juice alone.

Not for everyone. If you buy fresh juice from a market stall or squeeze bar, check whether it is pasteurized. Both outbreaks on this page came from unpasteurised juice.

What expert bodies say

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says that in the general population vitamin C taken regularly does not appear to reduce the risk of a cold, though it modestly shortens colds and eases symptoms, and that vitamin C taken after symptoms start does not appear to help. The European Union register lists no authorized health claim for orange juice, and a claim that cryptoxanthin from orange juice strengthens the immune system was not authorized.

How we searched

What would change this answer

• A randomized trial of daily orange juice against a drink matched for sugar, measuring how often people catch colds and how long they last, with the vitamin C dose reported. We found none, finished or registered.
• A trial in the one group where vitamin C cut colds, people under heavy physical stress, using food rather than supplements.

What is in a glass of orange juice, including its sugar, is on the orange juice page, along with its effects on some medicines. Everything about vitamin C itself is in the vitamin C guide.

Sources

1. ev-ojcc-01 · Observational data · placebo-controlled trial of natural orange juice, synthetic orange juice and placebo, randomization not stated · n = 362
   There was a 14 to 21% reduction in total symptoms due to the common cold in the supplemented groups that was statistically significant (P less than 0.05).
   
   Who: healthy young adult volunteers aged 17 to 25 years
   Effect: 14-21% reduction in total cold symptoms (P < 0.05); more episode-free subjects; 72 days
   Certainty: Only trial of orange juice itself found; authors judged it not clinically useful in well-nourished adults.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1979 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
2. ev-ojcc-02 · Observational data · placebo-controlled trial, randomization not stated · n = 362
   However, the clinical usefulness of the results does not support prophylactic ascorbic acid supplements in the well-nourished adult.
   
   Who: healthy young adult volunteers aged 17 to 25 years
   Effect: natural and synthetic orange juice gave similar results; no clinical recommendation
   Certainty: Suggests vitamin C, not other juice compounds, would carry any effect.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1979 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
3. ev-ojcc-03 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials · n = 10,708
   In the general community trials involving 10,708 participants, the pooled RR was 0.97 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.94 to 1.00).
   
   Who: general community trials of regular vitamin C, at least 0.2 g/day, placebo-controlled
   Effect: RR of developing a cold 0.97 (0.94 to 1.00)
   Certainty: Supplement doses of 0.2 g/day or more, not juice.
   Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2013 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
4. ev-ojcc-04 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials · n = 9745 episodes
   In adults the duration of colds was reduced by 8% (3% to 12%) and in children by 14% (7% to 21%). In children, 1 to 2 g/day vitamin C shortened colds by 18%. The severity of colds was also reduced by regular vitamin C administration.Seven comparisons examined the effect of therapeutic vitamin C (3249 episodes). No consistent effect of vitamin C was seen on the duration or severity of colds in the therapeutic trials.
   
   Who: adults and children in placebo-controlled trials of regular or therapeutic vitamin C
   Effect: duration -8% (3 to 12%) in adults, -14% (7 to 21%) in children; therapeutic trials (3249 episodes): no consistent effect
   Certainty: Regular-use effect is modest; drinking juice only when ill matches the therapeutic trials.
   Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2013 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
5. ev-ojcc-05 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials · n = 598
   Five trials involving a total of 598 marathon runners, skiers and soldiers on subarctic exercises yielded a pooled RR of 0.48 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.64).
   
   Who: people under heavy short-term physical stress
   Effect: RR 0.48 (0.35 to 0.64), 5 trials
   Certainty: Small subgroup; supplement doses.
   Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2013 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
6. ev-ojcc-06 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · meta-analysis of randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials · n = 15 comparisons
   Compared to placebo, vitamin C significantly decreased the severity of the common cold by 15% (95% CI 9-21%).
   
   Who: people in good health at baseline, oral vitamin C at least 1 g/day
   Effect: severity -15% (95% CI 9 to 21%)
   Certainty: Dose of at least 1 g/day, 2.1 quarts (2 liters) of juice or more by vitamin C content.
   BMC Public Health, 2023 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
7. ev-ojcc-07 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized crossover trial, 4 weeks per arm, 4-week washout · n = 32
   Gold kiwifruit did not significantly reduce the overall incidence of URTI compared with banana, but significantly reduced the severity and duration of head congestion, and the duration of sore throat.
   
   Who: community-dwelling people aged 65 years or older, New Zealand
   Effect: no change in URTI incidence; shorter and milder head congestion, shorter sore throat
   Certainty: Whole fruit rich in vitamin C, not orange juice; pilot size.
   Br J Nutr, 2012 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
8. ev-ojcc-08 · Position of an expert body · agency fact sheet · n = —
   However, in the general population, taking vitamin C prophylactically does not appear to reduce the risk of the common cold, although it does appear to modestly reduce the duration of the cold and ameliorate the symptoms. Taking vitamin C after the onset of cold symptoms does not appear to affect cold duration or symptom severity.
   
   Who: general population; people with intense exercise, cold exposure or marginal vitamin C status
   Effect: no prevention in general population; modestly shorter colds with regular intake; no effect after onset
   Certainty: Based on the 2007 Cochrane review and later trials.
   NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin C Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the section
9. ev-ojcc-09 · Position of an expert body · agency fact sheet · n = —
   However, high doses of vitamin C can lead to diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, and other gastrointestinal disturbances. There are some concerns surrounding high vitamin C intakes, such as the formation of kidney stones and excess iron absorption, but these are not generally considered a risk in healthy individuals. The Tolerable Upper Intake Level for vitamin C ranges from 400 to 2,000 mg, depending on age.
   
   Who: children and adults
   Effect: UL 400-2,000 mg/day by age; GI upset at high doses; kidney stone concern mainly with pre-existing hyperoxaluria
   Certainty: Relevant to high-dose supplements, hard to reach with juice alone.
   NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin C Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the section
10. ev-ojcc-10 · Observational data · outbreak investigation with matched case-control study · n = 62
    Unpasteurized orange juice caused an outbreak of salmonellosis in a large Florida theme park. All orange juice was recalled and the processing plant closed. Pasteurization or other equally effective risk-management strategies should be used in the production of all juices.
    
    Who: theme park visitors, Orlando, Florida, 1995
    Effect: 97% of case patients vs 54% of controls drank the park's orange juice; Salmonella in 10 of 12 juice containers
    Certainty: Applies to unpasteurised juice only.
    JAMA, 1998 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
11. ev-ojcc-11 · Observational data · outbreak investigation with matched case-control study · n = 23 cases/24 controls
    In total, 33 cases were reported, and a matched case-control study (23 cases/24 controls) identified consumption of fresh (unpasteurized) fruit juice purchased from a large retailer (X) as the only significant risk factor for illness (matched odds ratio: 7.4, 95% confidence interval: 1.5-37.2).
    
    Who: laboratory-confirmed cases and matched controls, the Netherlands, 2008
    Effect: matched OR 7.4 (1.5 to 37.2)
    Certainty: Strain acid-resistant and compatible with survival in orange juice; not isolated from juice.
    Foodborne Pathog Dis, 2010 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
12. ojc-r5-02 · Position of an expert body · national food composition dataset · n = —
    CoFID 14-369 Orange juice, freshly squeezed: Energy (kcal) 33; Total sugars (g) 8.1; Potassium (mg) 180; Folate (ug) 28; Vitamin C (mg) 48. CoFID 14-329 Orange juice, chilled: Energy (kcal) 36; Total sugars (g) 8.6; Potassium (mg) 158; Vitamin C (mg) 40
    
    Who: CoFID 14-369 Orange juice, freshly squeezed and 14-329 Orange juice, chilled
    Effect: freshly squeezed: 33 calories, 8.1 g total sugars, 180 mg potassium, 48 mg vitamin C, 28 ug folate per 3.5 oz (100 g); chilled: 36 calories, 8.6 g sugars, 158 mg potassium, 40 mg vitamin C
    Certainty: USDA Foundation (from concentrate) gives 26.9 mg vitamin C (15.9-38.6, n=8): the spread by form and storage is large.
    CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), codes 14-369 and 14-329, OGL v3.0 · checked 2026-09-29 · we read the dataset
13. ojc-r5-05 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized trial of stored juices · n = —
    The ascorbic acid content decreased significantly after storage in juice reconstituted from frozen concentrate (117+/-8 vs 89+/-8 mg/8 fl oz, P =.001), but did not change in chilled juice (69+/-5 vs 64+/-12 mg/8 fl oz.).
    
    Who: commercial orange juices stored at 39 °F (4 degrees C), compared on day 1 and day 8, with plasma responses in volunteers
    Effect: frozen-concentrate juice 117 +/- 8 vs 89 +/- 8 mg per 8 fl oz (P = .001); chilled juice 69 +/- 5 vs 64 +/- 12 mg
    Certainty: Number of participants not stated in the abstract, no full text (no_pmc). The claim itself is the measured vitamin C content in juices after storage, not a randomized comparison between people.
    J Am Diet Assoc, 2005 · checked 2026-09-29 · we read the abstract
14. ojc-r5-12 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and meta-analysis of in situ RCTs · n = 21 trials
    The findings of the studies showed that the addition of calcium in juice drinks led to reduced enamel loss, with blackcurrant juice presenting 2.6 times statistically significant less enamel loss compared to orange juice (p = 0.0001, I2 = 89%).
    
    Who: 21 in situ randomized controlled trials of calcium formulations and dental erosion
    Effect: blackcurrant juice 2.6 times less enamel loss than orange juice (p = 0.0001, I2 = 89%)
    Certainty: In situ (enamel slabs in the mouth), high heterogeneity; only 5 of 21 at low risk of bias.
    Evid Based Dent, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29 · we read the abstract
15. ojc-r5-16 · Position of an expert body · EU register of nutrition and health claims · n = —
    POL-HC-7000 Cryptoxanthin from orange juice (Cryptoxanthin from) orange juice participate to strengthen immune system. Clarification provided (Cryptoxanthin from) orange juice ensure antioxidant action / ensure protective effect on the organism. Non-authorised
    
    Who: EU Register on nutrition and health claims, entries for orange juice
    Effect: 0 authorized, 2 non-authorized claims naming orange juice
    Certainty: Non-authorized = evidence fell short at the time of assessment; claims about vitamin C as a substance exist separately.
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7000, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29 · we read the section