Thread by @bopinion

Americans consumed 5.2 gallons of fruit juice per capita in 2017.

That’s the lowest-ever recorded amount since the USDA started keeping track of consumption in 1970 bloom.bg/2nJZxrc

Orange juice took off in the 1940s, when scientists figured out how to make frozen concentrate that could be remade into a palatable drink.

After that, flash pasteurization brought not-from-concentrate juice that tasted even fresher (though often wasn’t) bloom.bg/2nJZxrc

🌅For decades, orange juice was successfully marketed as the healthy, vitamin-rich way to start the day.

Then it got caught up in the turn against sugar bloom.bg/2nJZxrc

🍹Fruit juices are now regularly derided as concentrated sugar-delivery mechanisms.

🍊In the meantime, consumption of whole oranges and other fresh fruits is on the rise bloom.bg/2nJZxrc

🍊Oranges are now rivaled in per-capita availability by:

🥑Avocados (yes, a fruit)
🍇Grapes
🍍Pineapples
🍓Strawberries bloom.bg/2nJZxrc

Alternative citrus fruits are charging ahead of oranges:

🍋Lemons
🍊Tangerines
🍋Limes
🍊Tangelos bloom.bg/2nJZxrc

Grapefruit peaked at 9 pounds per capita in 1976, and it’s been declining ever since.

Why? A collision between the elderly’s breakfast preferences and their prescriptions. Grapefruit can interact in dangerous ways with medication for high cholesterol bloom.bg/2nJZxrc

🍬High-fructose corn syrup is down 38% from its peak in 1999

It’s acquired a reputation as the unhealthiest of sweeteners, which helps explain the slight rebound of actual sugar bloom.bg/2nJZxrc

🥝In 2013, for the first time since 1970, Americans consumed more fresh fruit than caloric sweeteners.🥭

🍉In 2017 people consumed 8.3 pounds extra of fresh fruit 🍐 bloom.bg/2nJZxrc

For @foxjust, this seems like a triumph of scientific communication:

A growing consensus that consuming lots of sugars and fruit juice was unhealthy has led to less consumption of sugars and fruit juices bloom.bg/2nJZxrc