Most people are aware that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables is vital for a healthy body. Unfortunately, most people don’t eat nearly enough to meet the criteria for either fruits or vegetables. When you think about fruits, do you put fruit juice in the same category? Don’t worry, the majority do. Starting the day off with a refreshing glass of orange juice is extremely common. It is recommended that you eat 3-5 servings of fruit per day, so you are already off to a good start by drinking juice in the morning. At least that’s what the fruit juice companies want you to believe.
Did you know that one serving of fruit juice every day can greatly increase your likelihood of developing diabetes down the road? That’s strange because eating a piece of fruit every day will greatly decrease this likelihood. How could this be? Unlike fruit juice, actual fruit is high in fiber and much lower in calories. It’s believed that due to the lack of fiber, fruit juice causes dangerous spikes in your blood sugar levels, and this increases your chance of developing diabetes. Fruit juice also tends to have twice as many calories per serving, making you much more vulnerable to gaining additional weight as well.
I know that drinking your daily fruit servings may seem a lot simpler, but it isn’t a healthy alternative. Fruit juice should be heavily limited due to its high levels of sugar and calories. Also, due to fruit juice’s over-processing and pasteurization, it loses most of the nutrients that the fruit originally had. After this happens, fruit juice becomes about as healthy for you as soda. Yes, the nutritional value of fruit juice can be compared to soda! Who would have thought? Fruits come in all different colors, flavors, shapes, and sizes. I’m sure you can find something you like. Your body will be thanking you for a long time to come.
-Tom
You know how bad I am. That’s pretty much the only fruit I have most days- 1 glass of juice in the morning. Is it better to just give that up if that’s all I “eat”?
Well, if you want to continue drinking one glass of fruit juice in the morning, it’s best to choose a fruit juice that is made from 100% juice and not from concentrate. The best juices for you don’t have additional sugar added and still have beneficial vitamins such as vitamin C. However, one of the most important parts of fruit is the fiber which you won’t be getting from fruit juice. One way to get the best of both worlds is by purchasing a juicer and making the juice yourself from real fruits.