Health News / October 2006
Getting Juiced
The beverage industry has been happy to jump on the health wagon with fruit drinks, juices, fruit and vegetable cocktails and a variety of ingeniously named drinks that sound fresh, organic or tropical. Still, the most healthful juice is made fresh, right before drinking, from organic fruits and vegetables with nothing added. The beneficial enzymes, vitamins and minerals are at their peak, and some health practitioners say the water inside fruits and vegetables is the purest kind.
When juices are packaged and pasteurized, they lose some of their nutritional value but juices still pack a considerable nutritional punch, and are a quick and easy way to reach the recommended daily requirements of fruits and vegetables. Orange juice remains the top dog among juices. The American Dietetic Association calls orange juice a “nutrition powerhouse.”
When fresh juice isn’t possible, bottled juices are still a good choice over soda or sugary iced teas. But buyers should beware-and read labels. Many of the widely popular commercial “fruit drinks,” have little to no real fruit juice, are largely artificially colored sugar water and contain minimal amounts of fruit juice.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), many fruit drinks,“ades” and “cocktails” are nothing more than non-carbonated soda pop. Fruitopia “Real Fruit Beverage” and Sunny Delight “Real Fruit Beverage,” for example, contain only five percent juice. V8 “Splash” is about 25 percent juice and 75 percent sugar-water. CSPI says that, while Fruitopia has “100% vitamin C per serving” in flavors like Strawberry Passion Awareness, the product contains only about five percent strawberry juice and 95 percent high-fructose corn syrup. Similarly, Mystic Mango Mania Fruit Drink has mangoes pictured all over the label, but the product doesn’t contain any mango, except perhaps a small amount included in the “natural flavors.” Consumers get abouty three percent white grape juice and 97 percent sugar water. Juice in such limited amounts cannot be counted on for health benefits.
Reading labels is the best way for consumers to ensure they are buying what’s best for them. When buying off the shelf, try to avoid juices with artificial ingredients or preservatives and, quite simply, anything with less than 100 percent juice. Also, weight watchers should note that many bottled juices can be high in calories, owing to natural fruit sugars. An alternative is to drink water and eat whole fruit, which has fiber along with all the nutritional benefits.
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