Most diet plans recommend that you get many servings of fruits and vegetables each day. One way to increase the amount of fruit you consume each day is to drink fruit juices. Although fruit juices may vary somewhat in their nutritional content compared to whole fruits, drinking juice can be nutritious, as long as it is done in moderation.
Vitamins
Fruit juices are often rich in vitamins and minerals. For example, citrus juices are naturally high in vitamin C and other vitamins. For example, each serving of Juicy Juice, a common juice brand, contains 100 percent of your recommended daily vitamin C intake. Orange juice is the most vitamin-packed juice, AskDrSears.com notes, as it contains high amounts of vitamin C, folate, potassium and thiamine. Apricot Nectar is high in vitamin A, and prune juice is rich in zinc, iron and niacin. One serving of Tropicana orange juice contains 110 calories, the Tropicana website notes.
Fiber
Fruit juice is not completely equivalent to fruit, however. Some nutrients, such as fiber, can be lost in the juicing process. Fiber is plant material which cannot be digested and which passes through the digestive tract. Fiber can help prevent constipation, lower blood glucose levels and keep cholesterol levels low. Unless a juice is marketed as "with pulp," the American Academy of Pediatrics notes, it does not contain any fiber. On the other hand, prune juice is an excellent source of fiber, AskDrSears.com explains.
Sugar
One thing to consider when drinking fruit juice is its sugar content. Most fruit juices, even those which do not have any additives, are high in sugar. For example, 8 oz. of Juicy Juice brand apple juice contains 26 g of sugar. Although this is not an inordinate amount of sugar, particularly for beverages which are otherwise nutritious, fruit juices should only be consumed in moderation. In addition, if you have diabetes, the high sugar content of fruit juice could cause rapid spikes in your blood glucose levels.
Pasteurization
If you are drinking juice, it is much safer to drink juice which has been pasteurized. Drinking juice which is unpasteurized or has been improperly pasteurized can result in food poisoning as a result of E. Coli, Salmonella and Cryptosporoidium infections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes. Pasteurization involves heating the juice to a very high temperature for a short period of time to kill any bacteria. There are other ways of killing bacteria in juice, such as using UV radiation, which also make the juice safe for consumption; juice of this sort is known as "treated" juice. Improperly treated juice can be contaminated with bacteria, however, resulting in stomach pain, fever and diarrhea.
Juice and Children
Children who drink fruit juice are not more likely to be overweight, according to the "U.S. News & World Report." In addition, they are more likely to consume whole fruits and to have a healthier diet. On the other hand, consuming large quantities of fruit juice can add extra calories to a child's diet and can result in improper weight gain and obesity.
Member Comments