Citric acid is one of the most common ingredients in commercially-produced beverages, including fruit juices, fruit "drinks" that don't contain actual juice and fruit-flavored sodas. It also occurs naturally in fruit juices. While it doesn't do you any particular good, it won't hurt you either, and is simply a flavoring agent and preservative.
Citric Acid
Citric acid has a very tangy flavor due to its acidic nature. Actually, all acids taste sour -- the sour flavor receptors on your tongue respond to acidity -- but not all acids are safe to eat. Because citric acid is safe for human consumption, it's a common additive to foods and helps produce a pleasant tartness. It's also a preservative, helping to inhibit bacterial growth, which adds to its popularity as a food additive.
In Nature
In addition to being a popular ingredient in processed foods, citric acid is very common in nature. It actually occurs naturally in many fruits -- it gets its name from its prevalence in citrus fruit -- and juices. Other living cells also make citric acid. Your own cells, for instance, produce citric acid while you're in the process of generating energy from fats, proteins and carbohydrates. This doesn't mean the citric acid you eat will make you feel energetic, however.
Quantities
The amount of citric acid in fruit juice varies greatly, depending on the type of juice and how it was obtained and processed. According to the University of Long Island, fresh orange juice contains 4 grams of citric acid per 8 oz. serving, while orange juice from concentrate contains only 3.2 g. Grapefruit juice from concentrate contains 5.5 g in an 8 oz. serving. Fruit drinks that contain no juice typically have no more than 2 g per serving.
Fate Of Citric Acid
The citric acid you consume in juice has very little effect on your body. In fact, you simply filter most of it into your urine because while you can absorb it into the bloodstream, it's very water soluble. This allows the kidneys to filter it out of the blood effectively. As such, while you needn't seek out citric acid in your juice, you needn't avoid it either.
References
- Long Island University: Juice
- "Seminars in Nephrology"; "Citrate Transport by the Kidney and Intestine"; A. Pajor; 1999
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