An answer to the age-old question, Is fruit juice as good as
whole fruit?
Fruit juice, though tasty and refreshing, is not as healthy as
whole fruit. When a whole fruit is pressed or squeezed to make
juice, some of the nutrients, most notably fiber and the
water-soluble vitamins, are lost in the process. While 100% fruit
juice is not completely devoid of nutrients, it is undoubtedly less
nutrient dense than the whole fruit that it came from. Orange juice
makes a good example of the health difference when you focus on the
issue of its pulp. The white pulpy part of the orange is the
primary source of its flavonoids. Flavonoids are colorful pigments
that support numerous metabolic processes in the body. The juicy
orange-colored sections of the orange contain most of its vitamin
C. In the body, flavonoids and vitamin C often work together, and
support health through their interaction. When the pulpy white part
of the orange is removed in the processing of orange juice, the
flavonoids in the orange are lost in the process. This loss of
flavonoids is one of the many reasons for eating the orange in its
whole food form (even if you only end up eating a little bit of the
white pulpy part).
Additionally, many fruit juices that are sold in supermarkets
contain only a small percentage of real fruit juice, and contain
added sweeteners (sucrose or high fructose corn syrup). As a
result, it is easy to consume a large amount of calories without
getting any actual nutrition when you consume these beverages. Make
sure you read fruit juice labels carefully! Turn over on the back
of the jar or bottle, and look over the ingredient list - you may
be surprised to see exactly where the fruit itself fits in!
Since an orange in a lamp post would not be very pretty after a
while, we tried to hide the next best thing. Hope you enjoy the
find, and remember, A day without orange juice is like a day
without sunshine. And a day without sunshine is like...Night!