Freshly juiced fruit has become a staple for many busy health conscious consumers. It is convenient, quick and easy to prepare. We have fruit juices out of the notion that it is healthy. But is that glass of juice really doing what we expect it to do for our body ?
Fresh fruits are loaded with healthy natural sugars, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and soluble fibres. Fibres help in removing the toxins from our body, helps to improve digestion, provides relief from constipation and slow down the rate of spike in blood sugar. Diets high in fibres have been linked to lower risk of developing coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes.
What happens when we put in whole fruits in our juicer ? The fibres gets broken down and so do most of the valuable nutrients.
So we are not making the most out of fruits here. Also, satiety value is much more when we bite into a fresh, juicy fruit.
Since no fibres left, sugar level in fruit juice can cause a significant spike in blood sugar levels increasing the risk for hyperglycemia ( too high blood sugar levels ). So, a big no no for diabetic patients.
It is still better than having carbonated drinks, but it is more effective to eat the whole fruit and reap all its nutritional benefits.
Mixing a fruit juice with a vegetable is a better option too as some insoluble fibres from vegetables still gets retained. We can also consider blending instead of juicing as it retains the pulp and skin of the fruit.
Who all can opt for fruit juice ?
- It is a good option for elderly and sick people with digestive disorders.
- Sports person with very high activity level can have it post game.
- Those who are picky eaters can combine various fruits to make it tastier and flavorful.
- We can combine with vegetable juice to mask the bitter taste of veggies.
- Can be had while travelling with no better option to eat or drink.
Finally, if we do choose to juice, do not delay drinking. It is best to drink the juice right away, because anti-oxidants and enzymes activity decreases over time.
Hope we will try to follow..
