We live in a world where people pay a lot of attention to their health and therefore drinking fruit juice is seen as healthy. Promoted as a product containing natural vitamins it is consumed during breakfast and can act as a replacement for soda. However, what is the case is quite the opposite.
Though it may sound like an easy method to increase the portion size of fruits consumed in your diet, fruit juice is very unhealthy in several ways that people pay little attention to. This blog is going to discuss some lesser-known evils of fruit juice, dispel the myth that they are healthy and more nutritious than soda, and look at how they affect blood sugar, diabetes, and other nutritional aspects of life.
This is what you didn’t know about fruit juice, they contain hidden dangers that people living a healthy lifestyle should avoid.
fruit juice, especially the one with the label “100% natural,” is not as innocent as it seems; it conceals several threats. When fruit is juiced, a lot of the fibrous content that slows down the absorption of sugars into the body is filtered out, and what one is left with is fructose, a sugar that is very dangerous for the body when taken in large portions.
Fructose and liver overload, This is so disastrous because when you are consuming fructose and it is beyond your endurance, then it goes directly to the liver where it is converted into fat. This in turn incurs the danger of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and a common cause of insulin resistance which highly contributes to obesity and type 2 diabetes in individuals.
Debunking the “Healthy” Myth of Fruit Juice
People have come to believe that fruit juice is a source of vitamins such as vitamin C among other vitamins but the truth of the matter is that these beverages have very minimal nutrients compared to whole fruits. For instance, although oranges contain fiber, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds that are essential for the human body, juice lacks most of them. Moreover, pasteurization, applied to eliminate bacteria in juice, decreases the vitamin and antioxidant value by 10- 30 percent.
An example is one glass of orange juice containing the same amount of calories as several oranges and no feeling of satiety as would be obtained when taking whole oranges. As a result, taking fruit juice is likely to result in taking large quantities of calories hence leading to obesity.
The Same Fruit Juice as Soda
Perhaps, more startling to many people, fruit juice is not any better than soda as far as, for instance, sugar is concerned. Consider this One can Cap contains 39 gm sugar In Coca-Cola cola while in Apple juice one can Serving contains about 36 gm sugar. The two drinks contain the same amount of ‘liquid sugar,’ which acts as a massive hit of insulin.
What makes this even more worrisome is the fact that fruit juice is non-carbonated and does not contain any caffeine to act as a speed-breaker to the intake. Since people consume fruit juice in large volumes they do not know that it has the same metabolism impact as soda.
Blood Sugar and Diabetes
Over the past few years, there have been studies that show that fruit juice contains a lot of sugar and it has numerous negative effects which include the fluctuation of blood sugar levels. Without the fiber to bulk up and delay absorption the sugar from fruit juice quickly pours into the bloodstream leading to spiked blood sugar and insulin. The consumption of fruit juice is considered to increase the levels of risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus.
The relative portion of carbohydrates of various Fruit Juices on the Glycemic Index.
The glycemic index or GI for short is a measure of how much a food elevates the blood sugar level. High GI foods take a short time to be digested and absorbed into the body thus leading to a speedy rise in blood sugar. A very shocking fact that most fruit juices contain high GI, and some fruit juices even contain more than 70 glycemic index scale. By the way, this is significantly lower than the GI score of whole fruits like apples or oranges which ranges between 35-40, primarily because of the fruit’s fiber content.
Even drinks such as grape juice, and orange juice have high glycemic indexes which may cause spikes in blood sugar levels resulting in fatigue, hunger, and overeating in the future. This causes the GI to be high which adds to the chances of having insulin resistance; it is the initial stage of having type 2 diabetes.
Nutritional Deficiencies and Overconsumption
However, fruit juice has some amount of vitamins and minerals, but the rest part of the fruit is lacking in nutritive value when compared to whole fruits. Intake of juices can create a subsistent dieting habit that leaves the body devoid of fiber, essential fatty acids, and protein. A survey associated excess intake of juice with an increase in weight among children due to the increased cases of obesity among children in the world.
Some people also have no idea that fruit juice is also capable of causing nutrient deficiencies. For instance, fruit juice has no protein and fats which are essential ingredients for the sustenance of a healthy metabolism.
Fruit juice contains high amounts of nutrients and vitamins but they are not as healthy as people assume due to the following reasons;
In their place, get more wholesome and nutrient-dense foods that will overall help the body yet do not affect the blood sugar level.
- Whole fruits: Whole fruits also contain all the fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants needed in the body without the need for spiking blood sugar. It also helps in controlling hunger because; taking whole fruits helps in having a full stomach without having to take more food.
- Infused water: If you want to add taste you should fill a glass of water with lemon, cucumber, and berry slices. This gives you a drink that is not sweet or full of sugar and additives that can add to the calorie content.
- Smoothies: Unlike fruit juice, the consumption of smoothies retains the fiber from the whole fruits which is very essential in the body. If one takes time to prepare proper smoothies that include, greens, healthy fats, for instance, avocado, and protein then it is full of nutrition and may be filling. Herbal teas: Herbal teas come in many varieties of flavors which are very healthy and have no traces of sugar making them perfect substitutes for sugary drinks.
This beverage although may look like a natural and healthy beverage can have adverse health effects when taken regularly. As a result of causing weight gain, higher levels of blood sugar, and the threat of type 2 diabetes among other related ills, it is my considered view that fruit juice is very toxic to our health. Choosing whole fruits and going for better options such as smoothies or flavored water can be better for your health and figure.
The fact of knowing that fruit juice can be harmful, you can introduce yourself to wholesome and healthy foods to avoid long-term harm to your body.
