I often get asked whether certain foods (or in this case drinks) are healthy and my response usually surprises people. You see, the term ‘healthy’ is a relative term. An individual food may be healthy for one person but not for others. It should always be put in context to the individuals goals and so my response is never so clear cut.
So the context I am coming from in this article is from a weight loss stand point, since that is my most common client.
When it comes to fruit juice, it is often perceived as healthy… probably because it comes from fruit, right?
Well, not always. Sometimes “fruit juice” is actually just fruit flavored sugar water. There may not even be any actual fruit in there. It may just be water, sugar and some chemicals that taste like fruit.
But even if you can get your hands on real, 100% fruit juice, you still shouldn’t be drinking it (or at least not much). The problem with fruit juice, is that it’s like fruit except with all of the good stuff taken out.
FRUIT JUICE IS LIKE FRUIT… EXCEPT WITH ALL THE GOOD STUFF TAKEN OUT.
The sugar content of fruit juice is actually very similar to sugar-sweetened beverages like Coca Cola.
Take a look at the breakdown for a 350 ml portion of Coca Cola and apple juice:
Whole fruits are a much better option because even though they do contain some sugar, it is bound within the fibrous cell walls, which slows down the release of the sugar into the bloodstream. But fruit juice is obviously different. There’s no fibre, no chewing resistance and nothing to stop you from downing massive amounts of sugar in a matter of seconds.
If this happens, a large amount of sugar gets absorbed and sent to the liver very quickly. When the liver takes in more sugar (fructose) than it can handle, some if it gets turned into fat. Some of the fat can lodge in the liver and contribute to fat buildup and insulin resistance.
Whereas the sugar in whole fruit gets sent to the liver slowly and in small amounts and the liver can easily metabolise these small amounts without being overloaded.
The bottom line is:
Small amounts of fruit juice (or fizzy drink) are unlikely to cause major problems for healthy, lean and active people, but it’s a complete disaster for people who are overweight or have diet-related problems.
My recommendation is – eat whole fruit, but avoid fruit juice if you’re trying to lose weight.
Yours in Health,
Tarryn Thompson
Nutrition Coach
This article was inspired by Kris Gunnars from Authority Nutrition.
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