4 Reasons Why Orange Juice Can Make Your Stomach Hurt
Diet & NutritionBeverages
Explore This Topic

4 Reasons Why Orange Juice Can Make Your Stomach Hurt

4 Reasons Why Orange Juice Can Make Your Stomach Hurt
Goran13/Getty Images
By
Kathleen Ferraro
Updated on August 6, 2025
by

Orange juice is a great source of essential nutrients like potassium and vitamin C. But in certain cases, sipping orange juice can hurt your stomach.

Here are four possible reasons OJ makes your stomach hurt, plus what you can do about it.

1. It's Acidic

One reason why orange juice may make your stomach hurt is because oranges and other citrus fruits naturally contain acid, which can irritate your stomach lining and lead to abdominal pain.

Citrus fruits like oranges can also trigger acid reflux, a condition where stomach acid washes into your esophagus.

 Common symptoms of acid reflux include:

  • Heartburn
  • Chest pain
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Feeling like something is stuck in your throat
  • Coughing
  • Sore throat and hoarseness
  • Regurgitation
  • Vomiting

Some orange juice manufacturers offer reduced-acid varieties that may help prevent or offset the stomach irritation or acid reflux you experience after drinking full-acid juices.

2. You May Be Allergic

Though it isn't common, it's possible to have an allergy to citrus fruits like oranges.

 And if you do have an allergic reaction, it's likely because the orange or juice contains proteins that are similar to those found in allergy-causing pollens.

Symptoms of a food allergy can include:

  • Stomach pain, nausea, or vomiting
  • Tingly or itchy mouth
  • Skin rashes like hives or eczema
  • Swelling of the lips, face, tongue, and throat
  • Congestion
  • Wheezing or trouble breathing
  • Dizziness
  • Diarrhea

‌Visit your doctor to see if an allergy is to blame, in which case the best way to avoid symptoms is to skip the OJ.

Some people can have an extreme allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, where your throat closes up and makes it hard to breathe. Seek medical care immediately if this happens to you.

3. Raw Juice Can Give You Food Poisoning

If you have severe stomach pain after drinking orange juice, food poisoning may be the culprit. That's because raw or fresh-squeezed unpasteurized orange juice can contain bacteria that could lead to foodborne illness. Pasteurization, on the other hand, heats juice to kill those harmful microorganisms.

Besides a stomachache, food poisoning can also cause the following symptoms:

  • Stomach cramps
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Fever
To avoid foodborne illness, stick to juices that are labeled as pasteurized. If you're making fresh OJ, be sure to wash and dry the fruit before you squeeze it, taking care to cut away any parts that look rotten or damaged.

4. It Can Interact With Medication

Another reason why orange juice may hurt your stomach? Certain citrus fruits, like Seville oranges and grapefruit, can interact with some prescription medications.

That's because chemicals in the fruit can mess with your body's ability to break down your medicine.

Side effects of a drug interaction may include:

  • Stomach bleeding
  • Muscle pain or breakdown
  • Kidney damage
  • Low blood pressure
Common medicines that don't mix well with citrus include:

  • Some statin drugs for high cholesterol like simvastatin (Zocor) and atorvastatin (Lipitor)
  • Some high blood pressure medications like nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat CC)
  • Some organ-transplant rejection medications like cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune)
  • Some anxiety medications like buspirone (BuSpar)
  • Some corticosteroids for Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, like budesonide (Entocort EC, Uceris)
  • Some heart rhythm medications like amiodarone (Pacerone, Cordarone)
  • Some allergy medicines like fexofenadine (Allegra)

Avoid drinking orange juice or eating citrus fruits if your doctor or medication label recommends it.

The Takeaway

  • An unexpected stomachache after consuming orange juice could be due to the beverage’s acidity, a rare citrus allergy, or food poisoning.
  • Orange juice can interact with certain medications, affecting how they function in your body, potentially causing symptoms like abdominal pain.
  • If you continuously experience stomach pain after drinking orange juice or you're not sure whether you should avoid citrus while taking your prescription medication, talk to your doctor.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. 5 Foods to Avoid When Digestive Troubles Arise. Cleveland Clinic. January 22, 2020.
  2. GERD Diet: Foods That Help With Acid Reflux (Heartburn). Johns Hopkins Medicine.
  3. Acid Reflux & GERD. Cleveland Clinic. September 28, 2023.
  4.  Citrin Allergy is Rare but Perplexing. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. December 2023.
  5. Food Allergy. Mayo Clinic. August 30, 2024.
  6. What You Need to Know About Juice Safety. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. March 5, 2024.
  7. Symptoms of Food Poisoning. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 31, 2025.
  8. I Like to Drink Grapefruit Juice. I Hear That It Can Get in the Way of Some Prescription Medicines. Is That True? Mayo Clinic. July 13, 2023.
  9. Understanding Food and Medication Interactions. Tufts University. September 17, 2019.
  10. Grapefruit Juice and Some Drugs Don't Mix. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. July 1, 2021.
Meet Our Experts
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network
Kara-Andrew-bio

Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Kara Andrew, RDN, LDN, is the director of health promotion for Memorial Hospital in Carthage, Illinois. She is also licensed as an exercise physiologist and certified in lifestyle medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Her experience includes corporate wellness, teaching for the American College of Sports Medicine, sports nutrition, weight management, integrative medicine, oncology support, and dialysis.

She earned her master's in exercise and nutrition science at Lipscomb University.

Andrew has served as a president and board member of the Nashville Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She was recently elected a co-chair of the fitness and medicine group in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

See full bio

Kathleen Ferraro

Author
See Our Editorial PolicyMeet Our Health Expert Network