Is Fruit Juice on the Good Side or on the Bad Side of Healthy Eating?

Recent studies have pointed to children as the largest group of juice consumers today.  And this is not surprising considering that historically, pediatricians and health experts have recommended fruit juice as a healthy source of vitamins, calcium and other nutrients.  Most recently, there were claims made that some fruit juices even contain anti-oxidants that may help to fight systemic diseases like cancer and heart disease.

Although fruit juice is often thought of as an alternative to soda and other sugary juice cocktail and sports drinks, nutritionist still do agree unanimously that fruit juice cannot replace the nutrients derived from a whole fruit.  Why is this so?

What it has …

A typical juice box in the supermarket contains only a little amount of real fruit juice and much more contains a blend of sweeteners that are high in calories and is really no healthier than a can of soda.

Some brands also contain high amounts of artificial colors and flavors and are dehydrated, rehydrated and pasteurized prior to packaging.

And what it doesn’t have …

A 100% fruit juice does not contain fiber which is the key nutrient that a piece of fruit provides. In addition to this, a fruit’s skin and pulp can also be sources of other nutrients needed by the body.

What it does to our body …

Fruit juice since it is loaded with a high sugar concentration can lead to dental problems.  It can stimulate the production of insulin in the body and limit the body’s ability to burn fat thus will lead eventually  obesity.  Or, the other side of the coin can be increasing the risk of malnutrition since it can displace other more nutritious foods from the diet. Among children, cases of flatulence and diarrhea were traced to excessive amount of sugar in the gut.

Based on these, the overall health worthiness of fruit juice, we can say is a lit bit tilted to the bad side. But this doesn’t mean that adults and children alike should stop drinking fruit juices.  The best healthy choice is to still drink and supply the body with at least 60 ounces of water each day. The key here is  learning to set limits and being wise enough to be selective in what we are drinking.

If you enjoyed this article, please take the time and take our fitness survey so we may continue to research articles of interest. Click Here to take survey

Related Posts

How to Use Nutritional Labels
Nutrition and The 7 Rules to Healthy Eating
Your Diet / Eating Personality

Popularity: 33% [?]