Avoid This “Healthy” Drink!
Avoid This “Healthy” Drink!
If you are like most people in America, you are waking up to orange juice every morning, or you are giving it to your children. Fruit juice is loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants and is considered a healthy drink, better than soda. Is this true? Well, the truth about orange juice, or any fruit juice, is that the small amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in the juice do not make up for the large amounts of sugar they contain. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, drinking orange juice is as bad as drinking any soda.
Once fruit is juiced, it loses its fiber, and makes for a concentrated sugary drink. Here is the comparison of 12 ounce soda, apple juice and orange juice:
Soda: 140 calories and 40 grams of sugar (10 teaspoons).
Apple juice: 165 calories and 39 grams of sugar (9.8 teaspoons).
Orange Juice: 165 calories and 36 grams of sugar (9 teaspoons).
Surprised? Here is what happens inside our bodies when drinking sugary drinks:
The large amounts of sugar get absorbed and sent very quickly to the liver. Part of the sugar found in fruit drinks is made up of fructose. Fructose can only be metabolized in the liver. When the liver takes in more fructose than it can handle, some of it gets turned into fat. This fat gets stored in the liver and contributes to fat buildup and then insulin resistance. For people who are already overweight, this could lead to metabolic disaster. Controlled metabolic studies show that liquid sugar can cause insulin resistance, raise triglycerides, elevate oxidized LDL cholesterol and cause belly fat accumulation… in as little as 10 weeks…..
But just in case you’re in doubt, some studies did use actual fruit juice. In one of them, 480 ml (16 ounces) of grape juice per day for 3 months caused insulin resistance and increased waist circumference in overweight individuals. In another study, consuming 2 or more servings of fruit juice per day was associated with more than a doubled risk of gout in women. And for children, a study showed that the risk of obesity was increased by 60% for each daily serving of sugar-sweetened beverages.
Moreover, boxed fruit juices go through a process called pasteurization which is a heating process to kill the spoilage microorganisms and to extend the shelf life. Heating is known to kill and strip the nutrients found in fruit. Another issue is that after being squeezed from the fruit, the juice is usually stored in massive oxygen-depleted holding tanks awaiting packaging. The main problem with this method is that it tends to remove most of the flavor, so the manufacturers add so-called “Flavor Packs” to the juice, to bring back the flavor that was lost during processing.
The solution?
Eat the whole fruit! You may also blend it. That way, you get all the fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals found naturally in the fruit. When we eat whole fruit, it takes significant effort to chew and swallow them. The sugar in fruit is bound within fibrous structures that break down slowly during digestion and gets sent to the liver gently and in small amounts. The liver can easily metabolize these small amounts without being overloaded.
Result?
Drinking fruit juice occasionally in small amounts may be okay for some individuals, but people need to realize that despite the “health halo”, fruit juice really is very similar to sugary soda. Most importantly, your liver can’t tell the difference. There is no reason to assume that fruit juices would have a different effect than sugary drinks, if they are consumed in the same amounts. Switch to drinking water, after all our bodies are made up of mostly water. If you are looking for flavor, try herbal teas that are healing and soothing, or diffuse herbs like mint or basil in your water. You may also add different fruits, cucumbers or lemons for an extra boost of flavor in your water. Get creative and add your favorite flavors to your teas and/or water.
The next time you reach for a boxed fruit drink when shopping, think twice! Save your dollars, your liver and weight!
