Is drinking juice really healthier? Nutritionist: 7 tips for making juice wisely to improve your health

For the sake of health, many people do not drink concentrated and flavored fruit juice drinks, and only drink 100% fresh fruit juice, believing that it does not burden the body. Some people even replace sugary drinks with natural fruit juice in order to lose weight, believing that they can save calories and increase health. Is this really the case?

Mango, pineapple, apple, watermelon... fresh fruits are made into juice, which tastes cool and sweet, and the ingredients are natural! But, you know? Even 100% natural fruit juice with no added sugar, or even orange juice that you squeeze yourself, may not be as healthy as you think.

When fruits are made into juice, the antioxidant nutrients are reduced and the dietary fiber is very little

First, there is the issue of nutrition. Nutritionist Zhang Wenyi pointed out that when fruits are made into juice, the area that comes into contact with air increases, which accelerates oxidation and causes an increased loss of antioxidant nutrients, especially vitamin C and enzymes with high health value, which are most affected.

In addition to reducing the antioxidant vitamin C in juice, the fiber intake from drinking juice is also much less than that from eating fruit. This is because, based on taste considerations, most freshly squeezed fruit juices will go through a "filtering" process after being whipped to remove the tasteless pulp residue that is difficult to swallow, leaving only clear, sweet juice.

During this process, most of the dietary fiber is filtered out, and the juice people drink only contains low-content nutrients, and probably also the extra sugar added by the juice shop!

The sugar content of blending multiple fruits into juice is amazing

Nutritionist Zhang Wenyi reminds us that even natural fruit juice without any added sugar may contain a high amount of sugar. This is because a glass of juice requires many pieces of fruit to make, which already contains a lot of fruit sugar. If the store adds extra sugar, the total amount of sugar will be even higher.

We know that extra refined sugar intake is unhealthy, so drink less sugary drinks. However, sugars from natural foods should not be consumed in excess, otherwise you will consume too many calories and put a burden on your body.

Take oranges for example. Normally we only eat 2 to 3 oranges a day. A moderate amount of fruit is good for health. However, drinking a glass of orange juice may use up 6 to 8 oranges, and the sugar intake is probably 2 to 3 times that of eating fruit!

Normally we only eat 2 to 3 oranges a day. A moderate amount of fruit is good for health. However, drinking a glass of orange juice may use up 6 to 8 oranges, and the sugar intake is probably 2 to 3 times that of eating fruit!

For people who want to lose weight, drinking fruit juice may actually increase sugar intake; for diabetics, blood sugar can easily soar, so drinking fruit juice is not recommended. Instead, consuming fresh fruits can help control the portion.

Elderly patients drink juice, peel the fruit and squeeze the juice

So, is it true that fruit juice is completely off-limits? If you are an elderly or sick person, your chewing ability and appetite may be poor. At this time, you can drink some natural fruit juice to replenish the fruit and water. If you are a gastroenteritis patient or someone with poor resistance, it is best to choose peeled fruit and then make juice, and pay attention to hygiene and cleanliness to reduce the chance of bacterial invasion.

7 tips for making juice smartly, it’s easy to add points to your health

As for the general healthy population, nutritionist Zhang Wenyi recommends that you should pay attention to the portion size when eating fruit. If you want to drink fruit juice occasionally, don’t forget to follow the following principles to make the juice healthier!

1. Control the amount of fruit

Every adult needs to eat about 2 to 3 servings of fruit every day (one serving is about the size of a fist). When making juice, you can use the daily amount of fruit to calculate, but be careful not to exceed the amount. For example, if you want to make apple juice, use 2 medium-sized apples and add an appropriate amount of water, and avoid using 4 or 5 apples to make juice at one time. If you drink more fruit juice on a certain day, you should reduce the amount of fruit you eat that day.

When making juice, you can calculate it based on the amount of fruit you want for a day, but be careful not to exceed the amount.

2. Blend into mixed juice

It is recommended to choose 2 to 3 kinds of fruits to make juice each time. Compared with a single kind of fruit, you can consume more diverse and rich nutrients. If you are prone to constipation, you can choose more of these three fruits: bananas, papayas, and pineapples to help promote intestinal motility.

3. Juice with the skin and seeds

"Seeds" are the source of nutrients in the fruit and are a very nutritious part of the fruit; the peel is rich in phytochemicals and is a good antioxidant. Therefore, it is recommended to wash the fruit thoroughly, squeeze the juice with the skin and seeds, and drink the nutrients of the whole fruit.

It is worth mentioning that fat-soluble ingredients such as lycopene are not as easily destroyed as antioxidants such as vitamin C; moreover, tomato juice made from cherry tomatoes contains more lycopene than when eaten raw. It is recommended to blend the peel into juice to get more lycopene.

4. Avoid added sugar

In order to increase the sweetness and make the juice taste better, many stores will add extra fructose or sugar. However, consuming too much monosaccharides not only increases calorie intake, but also puts a burden on the body. Therefore, it is recommended that when you buy freshly made juice, you remind the store not to add sugar, and also avoid adding extra sugar when making juice at home.

5. Not filtering before drinking

It is recommended not to filter the juice after squeezing, but to drink it together with the residue to get more nutrients from dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is also a probiotic that helps the growth of good intestinal bacteria.

6. Drink it up as soon as possible while it’s fresh

After the fruit is squeezed into juice, the area exposed to air increases and the antioxidant nutrients are lost faster, so it is recommended to drink it within 20 minutes to avoid reducing the intake of nutrients due to prolonged oxidation time.

7. Consult before drinking grapefruit juice

Grapefruit can easily interact with medications, such as some cardiovascular medications and antihistamines used for skin allergies or runny noses. If you need to take medication, you should consult a doctor or pharmacist before drinking grapefruit juice to avoid affecting your health!