Should I drink orange juice or milk in the morning?

Orange juice provides vitamin C but can easily erode teeth, while fresh milk is rich in calcium but can easily be contaminated with toxins from animals.

Both are popular breakfast drinks, orange juice and milk have their own advantages and disadvantages. So which one is the best choice to start your day?

According to Men's Health, orange juice provides the body with a rich amount of vitamin C, protecting you from the harmful effects of sunlight, the environment and pollutants such as lead. However, drinking too much orange juice is harmful to tooth enamel. A study by Professor Yanfeng Ren from Rochester Eastman University (USA) showed that orange juice causes tooth enamel hardness to decrease by 84% after five consecutive days of drinking due to its extremely low pH.

Additionally, orange juice is not an environmentally friendly product because it requires a lot of fertilizers, pesticides, and processing energy. It is estimated that the amount of carbon dioxide emitted from the orange juice production process each year is equivalent to the emissions from 1,700 cars.

Photo: MH

Meanwhile, milk is an important source of protein and calcium. Not only is it nutritious, it also helps regulate hormones that control weight and limit overeating.

The downside of milk is that it is easily contaminated with antibiotics, growth hormones or toxic substances from animals. A 2005 test by the US Department of Agriculture showed that 92% of cow's milk had traces of pesticides.Furthermore, livestock farming depends on water. As global warming progresses, water will become increasingly scarce.

Between milk and orange juice, experts recommend choosing milk. Professor Yanfeng Ren explains that milk is good for your teeth and if you choose organic milk, you won't have to worry about the risk of contamination with pesticides, antibiotics or growth hormones. In particular, compared to orange juice, organic milk contains superior nutrients including antioxidant beta-carotene; omega-3 fatty acids; vitamin E to support the immune system, prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease; lutein and zeaxanthin are good for the eyes.

If you don’t like milk, you can still drink orange juice, but be sure to sip it to avoid wearing down your teeth, or eat the whole fruit instead of squeezing the juice. Also, don’t brush your teeth immediately after drinking orange juice, but wait at least 30 minutes.

According to VNE