The $10 billion juice industry in the United States is often fueled on the premise that juice is healthy and even essential in a nutritionally balanced diet. The healthfulness of juice is not as straightforward as it may appear. Many factors contribute to the argument, including its concentration. Reconstituted juice from concentrate is often relegated to a quality level below 100 percent fruit juices, which may not be accurate.
Juice Types
The juice labels on packages at the grocery store may confuse the average consumer more than most food labels because the ingredients and regulations are widely varying and complex. The beverages that include the terms drink, punch, cocktail, beverage and -ade, typically contain only 10 percent juice and offer no nutritional value. The Food and Drug Administration allows only products that contain 100 percent juice to use the term "juice." Some juices contain apple or pear juice as the first ingredient because they contain a high level of sugar. This allows juice manufacturers to use the juice label, save money by reducing the amount of the advertised juice type and provide a sweeter product, which often increases consumption. Juice from concentrate is another juice type.
Juice from Concentrate
Juice from concentrate is found in the freezer, refrigerated and dry goods section of the grocery store. The frozen concentrate contained in the small, cylindrical canisters is the result of a process that removes water from 100 percent juice. When the consumer reconstitutes the contents of the can with water at home, it returns the juice to its original state and concentration. According to nutritional epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jennifer Seymour, Ph.D. The juice from concentrate in the refrigerated and dry goods aisles are reconstituted by the manufacturer.
Fruits and Vegetable Requirement
Consuming juice from concentrate, or any type of 100 percent fruit juice, can be used to fulfill the five to nine fruits and vegetable servings the United States Department of Agriculture recommends. According to Dr. Frankie Phillips from the British Dietetic Association, juice should constitute no more than one serving because it does not provide most of the fiber and many of the phytochemicals you obtain by consuming whole fruits and vegetables.
Sugar and Juice
The healthfulness of fruit and vegetable juices in general is a contentious subject among experts.
Dr. David Ludwig, from the Children's Hospital in Boston says that all store-bought juices are 100 percent sugar and have nutritional value equivalent to soda. On average, children consume 11.5 oz. of fruit juice daily, and he links the practice with the child obesity epidemic. Juice provides a high concentration of calories and sugar. In whole fruits, the fructose absorption into the bloodstream is slowed by fiber, but fruit juice contains comparatively low amounts of fiber and causes blood sugar to spike and crash if consumed in high amounts. When selecting the type of juice to drink, consider the source. Grapefruit and cherry juice contain fewer sugars compared with apple and grape.
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