TRUTH ABOUT FRUIT JUICES
· Fruit juices are healthier than aerated drinks.
· But they are not really a healthy substitute for actual fruits.
· Eating a whole fruit or having its juice are not the same thing.
· The common misconception that both provide the same nutrition could be the reason for your failing diet.
1. Health benefits of fruit juices and fruits
· Fruit juices are definitely a healthier option when compared to the sodas and aerated drinks which are so popular nowadays.
· Apart from vitamins like vitamin C, B and A, fruit juices are also rich in minerals like potassium and phosphorous.
· If they contain fruit pulp, then they provide fibre as well.
· But a whole fruit has more nutrients, more fibre and no preservatives.
· Remember that fruits and fruit juices both contain calories, but fruit juices have more with the added preservatives and sweeteners.
· Fibre, which is present in copious amounts in a whole fruit, tends to fill you up, restricting you to one or at the most two helpings.
· However in case of juice, this fibre content is very less which leads to consuming more calories without feeling full.
2. Preservatives used in canned fruit juices
· These are added to increase the shelf life of fruit juices.
· The following are permitted preservatives used in fruit juices:
- Sulphites and
- Inhibit the growth of yeasts, moulds and bacteria.
- Preserve the colour of fruit while drying.
- Sorbic acid:
- Inhibits the growth of moulds and yeasts.
- Benzoic acid:
- It has broad spectrum anti-microbial activity.
- Inhibits many spoilage bacteria, fungi and yeasts.
- Citric acid:
- It is used as an acidifier of foods.
· Due to inappropriate food labelling in India
· However, in juices labelled “sugar free” or “light”, sugar substitutes like Aspartame and Sucralose are used.
3. Fresh juice or packaged juice?
· A fresh juice from the juicer is much better than a packaged one.
· It has vitamins and enzymes which get destroyed in the processes of preservation.
· Fresh juice is also higher in water content and low in sugar, with no added preservatives or sugar.
· Packaged juice has added preservatives to enhance its shelf life, and added sugar or sugar substitutes to reduce the sourness that occurs when juice is kept for long.
· Therefore a fresh glass of juice is better in terms of taste and nutrition in comparison to packaged juices.
· However, it should be consumed within 30 minutes.
But eating a fruit is always more beneficial to drinking juices!!!