Tests have shown that fruit juice, consisting of a mixture of many types of fruit, has the most beneficial effect on our health. A glass of properly prepared juice contains similar amounts of beneficial polyphenols as a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate, Food & Function reports.
Many may believe that conducting serious scientific research of fruit juices is a waste of time and money, because it has been known for a long time that fruit is healthy and its consumption positively complements the daily diet.
However, the conclusions obtained from the experiments carried out at the University of Strasbourg (France) are extremely interesting and the results are unique.
Scientists have tested different types of fruit juices for polyphenols, chemicals that contain at least two hydroxyl groups in their molecule attached to an aromatic ring. Polyphenols are defined by scientists as free radical scavengers, and their presence in the diet minimizes the possibility of serious cardiovascular diseases.
Hardly anyone remembers that it is because of polyphenols that doctors recommend drinking small amounts of wine (especially red, dry) or consuming a few cubes of dark chocolate, which is also rich in natural antioxidants.
As the authors of the juice research explain, the impetus to address this topic was the desire to create a dietary alternative to alcohol and sweets that would contain a similar concentration of polyphenols to wine or chocolate.
Juices from different fruits contain different concentrations of polyphenols, which have a beneficial effect on the blood vessels, dilating them.
Tests conducted by French researchers analyzed both the amount of naturally occurring antioxidants (with particular emphasis on polyphenols), vitamin C, and sugar, and investigated the effect of these juices on the expansion of blood vessels in animals. In vitro studies were carried out on the arteries of breeding pigs.
In the next stage of the research, scientists focused on fruit juice mixtures. Here, multi-fruit juices of various compositions were tested, modified in such a way as to have the best effect on arterial vessels.
According to the researchers, the research has revealed the ideal composition and proportions of multi-fruit juice that most effectively interacts with the cells of the circulatory system.
Well, when looking at the composition of juices available on store shelves, let’s look for those that contain at least 63 percent grape juice, a little bit of apple juice, blueberries, strawberries, lingonberries, acerola and chokeberry.
According to the authors of the research, while drinking such a juice, we can be calm about our arteries and do not have to reach for a glass of wine or a cube of dark chocolate (although it is worth remembering that it is still necessary to conduct long-term clinical tests of the impact of such juices on people) (PAP).