Fruit juices were once considered a healthy part of the diet. However, today, they are often seen to be little more than sugar. Fruit juices are increasingly seen as unhealthy foods, and their consumption is declining. Fruit juice is not to be eliminated from the diet, as we argue in a recently published paper. Fruit is not consumed because it requires effort and can be inconvenient. Fruit juice is a great alternative to intact fruit, and it contains the same amount of chemicals that are good for you.
We’ve all heard that we should eat five portions of fruits and vegetables per day. Several Surveys show that very few people reach this goal. The Global Burden of Disease Study concluded that poor diets are responsible for one in five deaths. It also suggested that more health benefits could be gained by increasing the consumption of whole grains and nuts, as well as fruit and vegetables, rather than focusing on reducing sugar and fat.
Drinking pure juice is good for you, according to research. According to the Food4Me Study funded by the European Commission, a higher intake of fruit, vegetables, and juice was linked with lower weight. A national survey conducted in the US found that adults drinking pure juice had a lower obesity risk and better insulin sensitivity.
Drinks sweetened with sugar
But despite all of these benefits, some pressure groups and organizations still believe that juice shouldn’t be part of our diet. Their concerns are based on an analogy to sugar-sweetened fizzy beverages and confusion about what fruit juice is. Fruit juice is thought to increase obesity risk because it contains sugar that occurs naturally. Fruit juice contains sugar, but it is not the same as sugary drinks.
Fruit juices are drinks sweetened with added sugar, which contain very little juice. Take Sunny Delight, for example. Many consumers mistakenly believe that a 240ml portion of Sunny Delight is a fruit juice. However, it contains only 13% juice from concentrate. Fruit squashes, cordials, and other fruit drinks are made from a combination of sugar syrup and pulp. Pure fruit juice, on the other hand, is pure juice with no sugar added.
These drinks have different effects on the body, according to research. In a joint American-Chinese study, nearly 200,000 people were found to have a higher risk of diabetes when drinking sugary fruit juice. However, drinking pure fruit juice had no effect. Another study showed that sugar-sweetened beverages increase children’s weight over six years. Pure fruit juice does not.
The health benefits of the fruit are retained when you juice it. Monticello/Shutterstock
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Polyphenols, which give fruit their red, purple, and blue colors, have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral properties. summarized 22 studies on flavonoids, a type of polyphenol. It found that a high intake of these compounds reduced the risk of early death by 25%. Anthocyanidins, another polyphenol, lowers the risk for diabetes.
Carotenoids, which are responsible for the orange, yellow, and red colours, have also been linked to lower cancer risk. A summary of studies has linked them to a lower risk for developing laryngeal and oral cancer. has also shown that higher levels of carotenoids are associated with a lower rate of breast cancer.
Loss of fiber
What about fibre? Another reason to avoid drinking juice is because it contains less fibre than the fruit itself. According to the Mayo Clinic , juicing can remove fiber, even though fruit juice contains most of the vitamins and minerals found in whole fruit.
The Western diet does not provide enough . Some people believe that by not drinking juice, people will eat more fruit intact and get the fibre it contains. It’s unlikely that people will often choose between juice and whole fruit. You will switch to another beverage if you stop drinking fruit juice at breakfast. We drink to quench our thirst, not to eat more fruits. Drinks are convenient and allow consumption in situations where eating fruit is not possible.
No one suggests we shouldn’t eat fish or meat because they don’t contain fibre. We should instead look at the overall benefits of consumption, which we can start doing with fruit juice.
A 2017 survey on the health benefits of fruits and vegetables revealed that those who eat five to seven portions of fruit or vegetables a day have 30% less chances of dying prematurely than those who eat none, or only one portion. Fruit juice contains the same health-promoting chemical compounds as intact fruit. It is not surprising that other studies have also shown fruit juice to be beneficial for our health. The research showed that citrus juice or any other fruit juice was linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke and death.
