Freshly juiced fruit has become a staple in many diets – especially those of busy, health-conscious consumers who can save time on making (and perhaps even chewing) their food without missing out on nutrients. Fruit juice also has been linked to claims that it can help you both lose weight, and ‘detox’ your system.
Most foods that contain fructose– a naturally occurring sugar found in all fruits and fruit juices – don’t seem to have harmful effects as long as they’re not contributing to excess daily calories. This is because the fibre found in whole fruits is intact, and the sugar is contained within the fruit’s cells. It takes our digestive system a while to break these cells down and for fructose to enter the bloodstream.
But this is not the case with fruit juice.
Juicing is Not Better Than Eating Whole Fruits and Veggies
Vegetables are good for your body. That’s a fact—some of them even help fight cancer. But juicing advocates often claim that drinking juice is better for you than consuming whole fruits and vegetables, because removing the fibre makes nutrients easier to absorb. There isn’t any scientific research to support this. Your digestive system is designed to handle fibre and effectively extract nutrients from a variety of foods, including whole fruits and vegetables. 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. However, if you have difficulty including the recommended number of servings of vegetables into your diet each day, try juicing them.
Juicing Eliminates the Healthy Fibre Naturally Found in Veggies
Juices are not a perfect replacement for vegetables. When you drink your veggies, you may miss out on the fibre that helps keep you feeling full, reduces your risk of heart disease, and lowers your cholesterol. Choose a juicer that preserves the fibre (not an extractor) or add the pulp that is leftover in your juicer to muffins, soups, or sauces so you don’t skip out on the benefits of fibre.
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 pasteurised, bacteria can grow in them which can cause food poisoning. Juice is not something you should make ahead of time. If you want a juice with breakfast, give yourself some extra time in the morning to use your juicer. Also, remember to thoroughly wash your fruits and veggies before juicing to get rid of any bacteria or chemicals that may be on the skin.
