Drink juice or eat fruit? You may have been choosing the wrong one!

Fruits are nutritious and healthy, and are an essential choice for daily vitamin and dietary fiber supplementation. Some people think that squeezing fruits into juice concentrates all the essence of the fruit, which should be better for health. Therefore, they choose to drink juice instead of eating fruit. However, the nutrition of drinking juice is much different from eating fruit directly!

Many people don't understand why juice is less nutritious than fruit. They think juice is easier to consume than fruit, and can absorb vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in fruit more quickly, which should be more helpful in maintaining health. Why is juice not as nutritious as fruit? What is the difference?

1. Loss of dietary fiber

The first difference is in the dietary fiber content . The dietary fiber in fruit is made up of the cell walls of the fruit, and it helps digestion, increases satiety, and regulates blood sugar levels. In contrast, juices are usually concentrated or filtered, which strips away most of the fiber in the fruit. While some juices may have a small amount of dietary fiber added, they are usually much lower in fiber than whole fruit.

2. Vitamins and Minerals

Fruits are rich in natural vitamins and minerals . Different types of fruits contain different vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, etc. These nutrients are essential for maintaining the normal functioning of various functions of the body.

However, the process of making juice often involves processing and heating steps, which may lead to the loss or reduction of some of these vitamins and minerals . For example, during thermal processing, heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamin C may be destroyed by high temperatures, thereby reducing the vitamin content in the juice. In addition, the juice may be exposed to air or light during processing, which can also lead to oxidation losses of some nutrients.

3. Sugar content is very different

Fruits contain natural fructose, a natural simple carbohydrate that not only provides energy but also satisfies people's desire for sweets. However, when fruits are made into juice, the fructose content in the juice may be higher due to concentration and processing . In a sense, juice is not even as healthy as cola because it provides a lot of sugar but almost no satiety, which can easily lead to excessive drinking.

What effects does regular fruit juice consumption have on the body?

Digestive problems. Dietary fiber is essential for maintaining a healthy digestive system. It can promote intestinal peristalsis and prevent constipation or other digestive problems. Direct intake of fruit can better obtain the benefits of dietary fiber, while juice may not provide the same benefits.

This causes large fluctuations in blood sugar levels. At the same time, because juice lacks the inherent fiber of fruits, these fructose tends to be more easily absorbed by the body quickly. Fructose may cause blood sugar levels to rise sharply and then drop rapidly, resulting in large fluctuations in blood sugar levels. In the long run, frequent fluctuations in blood sugar may have a negative impact on physical health and increase the risk of diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

Obesity. Fruit juice does not make you feel full and is high in sugar, which can lead to overconsumption and weight gain.

Malnutrition. To extend the shelf life of some fruit juices, some manufacturers may add preservatives or other chemicals to the juices, which may further affect the content and quality of nutrients in the juices. Consumers who drink a lot may suffer from malnutrition.

Damage to teeth. Freshly squeezed juice has high sugar and fruit acid content. If you drink it for a long time, the sugar will adhere to the teeth, soften the tooth enamel, cause the tooth enamel to fall off, and increase the risk of tooth decay. For children, if they drink freshly squeezed juice for a long time without chewing, and if they do not chew enough, it is easy to cause deciduous teeth to be retained, causing permanent teeth to grow crookedly.

Although juice can provide energy and simple carbohydrates, eating fruit directly is more beneficial. The fiber in fruit can help slow the absorption of carbohydrates, making blood sugar levels more stable, while also helping to increase satiety and control intake. Therefore, in order to better maintain healthy blood sugar levels and weight, it is recommended to choose to eat fruit directly instead of juice.

If you really like drinking fruit juice, how can you drink it in a healthy way?

Choosing fresh, unpolluted, and undamaged fruits as raw materials for juicing are the basics. Here are a few key points on how to reduce the negative effects of drinking juice.

Choose 100% pure juice. Make sure to choose products with no added sugar, low sugar content, and "100% juice" on the label. Avoid juice drinks that contain high sugar additives and artificial sweeteners.

Limit your intake. Try to limit the amount of juice you consume each day. It is recommended that you do not exceed one cup (about 240 ml) per day.

Try drinking juice with a meal, especially with a high-fiber food, to help slow the absorption of sugar.

Drink it regularly. It's best to drink juice after exercise or in the morning on an empty stomach, when your body can process the sugar more easily.

References:

[1] Kuang Ruibin, Kong Fanli, Yang Hu, et al. Analysis and evaluation of nutritional characteristics of passion fruit juice[J]. Food Industry Science and Technology, 2021, 42(09): 347-357. DOI: 10.13386/j.issn1002-0306.2020070352.

[2] Commercially available fruit juice has no nutritional benefits for infants under one year old [J]. Chinese Journal of Maternal and Child Health Research, 2017, 28(10):1301.

[3] Cui Bai. Drinking juice and eating fruit directly have different effects[J]. Everyone's Health, 2022(03):60.

[4] Determination of arsenic content in fruit juice and fruit drinks by ion pair chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry [J]. Beverage Industry, 2016, 19(05): 80.

[5] Wang Yi, Lu Lixia, Xiong Xiaohui. Research progress of natural preservatives in fresh-cut fruits and juice preservation [J]. Chinese Food Additives, 2012, (02): 143-148.

Author: Xiaojuan is not Juan Master of Food Safety and Engineering, Henan University of Technology

Editor: Dong Xiaoxian