It’s 100% Fruit Juice Must be Healthy
Most of us agree that sugary soft drinks like sodas and fruit flavored drinks are not healthy for us. What about those big bottles of 100% fruit juices? It’s 100% Fruit Juice Must be Healthy?
For years I would prepare my own drinks using a blender to make shakes. I made them by blending different kinds of fruits that I could get hold of. Every morning I would drink a big glass of this sweet fruity blend and also after supper. I also drunk 100% fruit juices through the day. I really thought this was a part of a good healthy diet. I observed that my weight and my waistline were slowly getting bigger in spite a good healthy diet, and exercise. My blood pressure required more medications to control it.
I began to look into the amount of sugar in 100% fruit juices and to my chagrin I found they were even higher the sugary beverages that I completely avoided. I realized that all this fruit drinks where very unhealthy. I ask myself, as a physician how could I have overlooked this? Well, I did not read the labels. As my wife would say it, “Came on it’s just right infront of youre nose, can’t you see it!.”
Amount of Sugar in Fruit Juices (compared to Coca-Cola)
Coca-Cola 12 oz. 38 grams of sugar
Grape juice 12 oz. 58 grams of sugar
Apple juice 12 oz. 39 grams of sugar
Orange juice 12 oz. 33 grams of sugar
Concentrated fruit juices have high sugar content and and they are low on fiber. Many of the boxed fruit juices also have added corn syrup to make them sweeter.
Yes, there has been a decline in the consumption of sugary beverages due to wide-spread public campaign against its health dangers. Sadly, there has hardly been anything mentioned in these campaigns about the amount of sugars in 100% fruit juices, inspite of studies showing that drinking 100% fruit juice and sugary drinks equally shortens people’s lives.
A recent study reported in the in the Journal of the America Medical Association confirms the danger of regular fruit juice intake. They made the study on 13,440 men and women average age of 71 yeas. They excluded people who had known heart disease or strokes. They monitored their intake of sugary drinks and 100% fruit juices. After six years of the study the researchers concluded that increased consumption of sugary beverages, including 100% fruit juices, upped all-causes of death in older adults.
Just like most people, I had the mistaken notion that 100% fruit juice is a healthy alternative to sugary beverages. Now I make my own drinks by blending vegetables using almost all parts of the vegetables, so I could get the benefit of its fiber. I put a little fruit with it to for flavor. This blend is more nutritious, has more complex carbohydrates which are even safe for people with diabetes.
Points to Remember
1. Juicing is Not Better Than Eating Whole Fruits and Veggies
While juicing is a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet, eating them whole and raw is just as good for you, if not better. Juicing gets rid of the fiber which helps in good gut function and to nurture healthy gut bacteria. Fiber is also important in helping control blood cholesterol, prevent bowel cancer and control blood sugar. Use a blender instead of a juicer so you could incorporate all parts of the vegetables to your drink.
2. Do Not Use Juices as a Meal-Replacement or For Weight Loss
Replacing your meal by just drinking is actually not good for your health. Juice not only has a minimal amount of fiber, but also, does not have enough protein and essential fats for the body. This could slow down ones metabolism. A lower metabolism can actually cause you to gain weight once you resume a normal diet. Try drinking them with meals or as a snack and not to replace the meal.
3. Not all Juices are equal
What you put in your juice can make a big difference. Fruits are higher in sugar and calories than vegetables. To keep the sugar content low, juice vegetables and then add a small piece of blended fruit, like an apple or kiwi, if you want a little sweetness.
4. Juice Safely
If you are making your own juice, try to make it fresh each time and drink it right after you make it. Because homemade juices are not pasteurized, bacteria can grow in them which can cause food poisoning. Green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach are high in vitamin K. Large amounts of vitamin K are known to interfere with anti-blood clotting medication.[ If you have any health condition or are on medication, you may want to check with your doctor before making juices a regular part of your diet to learn about other possible food and drug interactions.
5. Juicing May Have Long-Term Health Benefits
A University of Vanderbilt University study at in 2006 showed that those who drank 3 or more servings of fruit and vegetable juice each week were significantly less likely to develop signs of Alzheimer’s over 10 years than those who drank less than 1 serving per week. The reduction in Alzheimer’s risk may be due to high levels of polyphenols in fruit and vegetable juice, a type of antioxidant that is believed to protect the brain’s neurons and keep them from deteriorating.
100% fruit juice must be healthy? Now you know better, it obviously is not.
