Have you noticed that many websites have lists of healthy fruits, but nowhere indicate that juices are the preferred form of consumption? The reason is simple: regardless of the fruit and the method of juicing, there will be less nutrients in the juice than in the whole fruit.
Peel Benefits
The skin of fruits such as blueberries, apples, dates, apricots, pears, grapes, figs, plums, raspberries, raisins and strawberries is essential in the life of the fruit. Through the peel, the fruit interacts with light and produces various colored pigments that absorb light of different wavelengths.
These pigments, including flavonoids and carotenoids, are essential for health. The skin of grapes, for example, protects against ultraviolet radiation and helps reduce the risk of cancer. Unfortunately, when fruit is juiced, the skin is often removed.
The benefits of pulp
In addition to the skin, which is the main source of fiber, the pulp also contains fiber and other nutrients. Orange juice is a good example of the benefits of the pulp. The white part of an orange is an important source of flavonoids. The juicy bright parts of an orange contain most of the vitamin C. In the body, flavonoids and vitamin C work together to maintain health.
If the white part is removed during juicing, the flavonoids are lost. Therefore, it is better to eat whole oranges, even if you eat very little of the white part. While many products say they contain pulp, it’s unlikely to be real pulp, as no one will add it back after being pressed.
Pressing fruit reduces fiber content
Do you know how much fiber is lost during the juicing process? There is practically no fiber in a glass of apple juice without pulp. To get a 230-gram glass of apple juice, you need about 4 apples. They contain about 12-15 grams of dietary fiber. Almost all 15 are lost in the production of juice. Those 15 grams of fiber would double your average daily fiber intake.
Is juice harmful?
The answer depends on what they replace and how to drink it. Juice that has been stripped of fiber and many nutrients is simply a source of sugar that lacks the nutrients it needs to digest. Fruit juice raises blood sugar faster than whole fruit, and in general the sugar level in juice is higher than in fruit. In addition, many juices on the market contain only a small amount of real juice, but contain artificial sweeteners. As a result, you can easily get a bunch of calories from these drinks without getting any nutrients. Read labels carefully.
Note
If juice is the only alternative to soda, the experts are always on the side of juice. If fruits are squeezed along with vegetables, the pulp remains, and drinking the juice allows you to get a lot of nutrients from vegetables. However, in most cases, the transition from fruit to fruit juice is possible only with the loss of the fullness of useful substances.