A popular breakfast drink costing as little as 10p a serving could help alleviate two serious health issues, according to research. Around half of people in the UK are thought to have high cholesterol, and a third are believed to be living with high blood pressure.

Both are serious risk factors for medical emergencies such as strokes and heart attacks, which can prove fatal.

Adjusting your diet is one way to improve your cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Cutting back on saturated fat can lower cholesterol, while reducing your salt intake can impact blood pressure.

And according to scientific research, orange juice has the potential to reduce both cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Cholesterol

Research, published in the journal Lipids in Health and Disease in 2023, found that drinking two glasses of orange juice daily could reduce cholesterol levels.

A total of 129 participants between the ages of 18 and 66 took part in the study.

Of these participants, 41% drank two cups of orange juice, totalling around 480ml, every day for at least one year.

Following the trial, it was found that those who regularly enjoyed the drink had “significantly lower” levels of total cholesterol.

These results were consistent across people who had normal cholesterol and also high levels.

But those who skipped their daily intake of orange juice didn’t see the same results.

In a separate meta-analysis it was concluded that orange juice consumption might have beneficial effects on blood low-density lipoprotein (“bad” cholesterol) levels.

But the research, which covered nine studies, concluded no significant effects were observed for serum levels of total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (“good” cholesterol).

Blood pressure

A study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition in 2021, showed that drinking orange juice over a 12-week period reduced blood pressure among participants.

Study authors wrote: “Hesperidin in orange juice reduces systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure after sustained consumption, and after a single dose, the chronic consumption of hesperidin-enriched orange juice enhances its postprandial effect.

“Hesperidin-enriched orange juice could be a useful co-adjuvant tool for blood pressure and pulse pressure management in pre- and stage-1 hypertensive individuals.”

Another study, published in Arya Atherosclerosis journal in 2013, tested the impact of orange juice on blood pressure.

People who consumed orange juice over 60 days demonstrated a “significant” reduction in blood pressure, whilst the other subjects did not.

The study said: “Commercial citrus sinensis juice significantly decreased blood pressure. Higher flavonoid, pectin, and essential oils content of concentrated products compared to natural juice might have been responsible for this finding.”

At the time of reporting you can buy a litre of smooth orange juice from Tesco for £1.05m, which works out at 10p per 100ml serving.

However, it is important to note that orange juice contains around 24 grams of sugar per serving, which is something to consider if you are diabetic or trying to lose weight.

If you are concerned about your cholesterol or blood pressure levels you should speak to your doctor.