Is seemingly healthy fruit juice really good for you? How much, if any, should you have per day? Is raw juice the only way to go? I answer these questions and more below in today’s Myth Monday blog post.
The Fall of Fruit Juice
I recently had a family member of mine share with me this article about health foods you should never eat. She was curious as to what I thought, me being a dietitian and all. Before I even read the article – just looking at the title – I knew I was probably not going to agree with everything I read. But I was curious, so I clicked on the link. Boy, oh boy. I normally don’t mind Dr. Axe too much, as he does have some pretty good info to share sometimes. I would probably clump him into a group of celebrity doctors with Dr. Oz (read my post about My Beef with Dr. Oz here). In fact, I recently watched a Rachel Ray episode Dr. Axe was on, talking about the common cold vs. the flu and thought his segment was pretty informative. However, one thing that is my pet peeve is people sharing nutrition misinformation for ratings, page views, profit or other similar things – especially when they use food fear mongering.
So, over the next few weeks I’m going to address some of the items on his list (I have already addressed salt and fats previously). The first item on his list of foods you should never eat: fruit juice. I’m not going to get into juice cleanses in this post, but if you want more info see my post Dietitians Weigh in on Cleansing and Detox Diets.
So why is fruit juice bad? Well, as Dr. Axe explains, fruit juice just spikes your blood sugar and conventional pasteurized juices have been stripped of their nutritional value and are, therefore, useless. So you are damaging your body’s ability to self-regulate it’s glucose and insulin levels and possibly causing diarrhea and other GI concerns. One thing I find interesting is that his article is titled “10 Health Foods You Should Never Eat,” but then he says if you make raw (there goes that buzz word) fruit juice at your home it is okay every once in a while….directly contradicting himself. So are we allowed it or not, Dr. Axe? Pure click bait with that never word.
Now let me give you my spill on fruit juice
I admit I do not encourage my clients to drink their calories. I would rather you eat your fruit than drink it. You will feel more full and satisfied from eating a whole orange compared to drinking 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of orange juice. Fruit juices have been stripped of the fiber in the whole fruit. Fiber slows the digestion process and, in turn, keeps us feeling fuller longer. Dr. Axe is correct in the fact that fruit juice alone can spike your blood sugar levels. Eating a meal or snack high in fiber, protein and healthy fats along with your juice will help offset that spike (and potential subsequent crash).
But if there is no fiber in juice it must be useless, right? Wrong. There are still other vitamins and minerals found in the juice itself (vitamin C in citrus!). Also, pasteurization is not a bad thing. People with weakened or compromised immune systems especially benefit from pasteurization, including infants, young children, pregnant women, and the elderly. If you are a healthy individual, go ahead and sip on some “raw” or homemade fruit juice if you wish. But don’t go out and buy a juicer just because of that. Rather, spend your money on a high quality blender to make smoothies and other drinks with – this way you are keeping the whole fruit (fiber included) in your beverage.
Is Fruit Juice included as part of a healthy diet? Share on X
Where fruit juice fits in your diet
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 state: “The recommended amount of fruits in the Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern at the 2,000-calorie level is 2 cup-equivalents per day. One cup of 100% fruit juice counts as 1 cup of fruit. Although fruit juice can be part of healthy eating patterns, it is lower than whole fruit in dietary fiber and when consumed in excess can contribute extra calories. Therefore, at least half of the recommended amount of fruits should come from whole fruits. When juices are consumed, they should be 100% juice, without added sugars.”
In layman’s terms:
- Do you need to feel guilty for drinking some OJ with your breakfast in the morning? Absolutely not!
- Are pasteurized fruit juices useless? No.
- Should you be guzzling down glass after glass of fruit juice on a daily basis? Probably not.
I always recommend whole fruits over juice, but if you want some juice I suggest limiting your fruit juice intake to no more than 8 ounces (one cup) of 100% fruit juice per day. Make sure 100% juice is written on the label and there is no added sugar. To help offset a sudden spike in blood sugar levels, drink your juice with a snack or meal high in fiber, protein and/or healthy fats. For children ages 1 – 6 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 4 ounces per day.
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